青春之泉（3）
《泰西故事30篇》作者：李汉昭 2017-04-10 17:32
青春之泉（3）
But, with all his wealth, Ponce was not happy. He had lived so carelessly and wildly that his youth went from him early. At fifty years of age he was a miserable old man. There was no more joy in the world for him.
One day as he was sitting unhappy in the White Castle, a thing occurred that kindled a spark of hope in his despairing mind. He overheard an Indian slave say, “In Bimini no one grows old.”
“Bimini! What is Bimini?” he asked.
“It is a beautiful island that lies far, far to the north of us,” was the answer.
“Tell me about it.”
“There is a fountain there, a spring of clear water, the most wonderful in the world. Every one that bathes in it becomes as young and strong as he was in his best days. No one grows old in Bimini.”
“Have you ever been there?”
“Ah, no. It is too far away for any of our people to make the voyage. But we have heard talk of the fountain all our lives.”
Ponce asked other Indians about Bimini and its magic fountain. All had heard of it. It was a land fragrant with flowers. It lay far to the northwest—too far for frail canoes to venture. But the great ships of the white men could easily make the voyage in a few days.
Ponce made up his mind to discover the fountain. He first got the king’s permission to conquer Bimini, wherever it might be. Then with three ships and a number of followers he sailed toward the northwest. He passed through the great group of islands known as the Bahamas; and, wherever there were natives living, he stopped and made inquiries.
“Where is Bimini? Where is the magic fountain of youth?”
They pointed to the northwest. It was always a little farther and a little farther. No one had ever seen the fountain, but Ponce understood that every one had heard of it.
At length, after leaving the Bahamas far behind them, the
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But, with all his wealth, Ponce was not happy. He had lived so carelessly and wildly that his youth went from him early. At fifty years of age he was a miserable old man. There was no more joy in the world for him.
One day as he was sitting unhappy in the White Castle, a thing occurred that kindled a spark of hope in his despairing mind. He overheard an Indian slave say, “In Bimini no one grows old.”
“Bimini! What is Bimini?” he asked.
“It is a beautiful island that lies far, far to the north of us,” was the answer.
“Tell me about it.”
“There is a fountain there, a spring of clear water, the most wonderful in the world. Every one that bathes in it becomes as young and strong as he was in his best days. No one grows old in Bimini.”
“Have you ever been there?”
“Ah, no. It is too far away for any of our people to make the voyage. But we have heard talk of the fountain all our lives.”
Ponce asked other Indians about Bimini and its magic fountain. All had heard of it. It was a land fragrant with flowers. It lay far to the northwest—too far for frail canoes to venture. But the great ships of the white men could easily make the voyage in a few days.
Ponce made up his mind to discover the fountain. He first got the king’s permission to conquer Bimini, wherever it might be. Then with three ships and a number of followers he sailed toward the northwest. He passed through the great group of islands known as the Bahamas; and, wherever there were natives living, he stopped and made inquiries.
“Where is Bimini? Where is the magic fountain of youth?”
They pointed to the northwest. It was always a little farther and a little farther. No one had ever seen the fountain, but Ponce understood that every one had heard of it.
At length, after leaving the Bahamas far behind them, the