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- THE STORY OF CINCINNATUS
- THERE was a man named Cincinnatus who lived on a little farm not far
- from the city of Rome. He had once been rich, and had held the highest
- office in the land; but in one way or another he had lost all his wealth.
- He was now so poor that he had to do all the work on his farm with his
- own hands. But in those days it was thought to be a noble thing to till
- the soil.
- Cincinnatus was so wise and just that everybody trusted him, and asked
- his advice; and when any one was in trouble, and did not know what to
- do, his neighbors would say,—
- "Go and tell Cincinnatus. He will help you."
- Now there lived among the mountains, not far away, a tribe of fierce,
- half-wild men, who were at war with the Roman people. They persuaded
- another tribe of bold warriors to help them, and then marched toward
- the city, plundering and robbing as they came. They boasted that they
- would tear down the walls of Rome, and burn the houses, and kill all the
- men, and make slaves of the women and children.
- At first the Romans, who were very proud and brave, did not think there
- was much danger. Every man in Rome was a soldier, and the army which
- went out to fight the robbers was the finest in the world. No one staid at
- home with the women and children and boys but the white-haired
- "Fathers," as they were called, who made the laws for the city, and a small
- company of men who guarded the walls. Everybody thought that it
- would be an easy thing to drive the men of the mountains back to the
- place where they belonged.
- But one morning five horsemen came riding down the road from the
- mountains. They rode with great speed; and both men and horses were
- covered with dust and blood. The watchman at the gate knew them, and
- shouted to them as they galloped in. Why did they ride thus? and what
- had happened to the Roman army?
- They did not answer him, but rode into the city and along the quiet
- streets; and everybody ran after them, eager to find out what was the
- matter. Rome was not a large city at that time; and soon they reached
- the market place where the white-haired Fathers were sitting. Then they
- leaped from their horses, and told their story.
- "Only yesterday," they said, "our army was marching through a narrow
- valley between two steep mountains. All at once a thousand savage men
- sprang out from among the rocks before us and above us. They had
- blocked up the way; and the pass was so narrow that we could not fight.
- We tried to come back; but they had blocked up the way on this side of us
- too. The fierce men of the mountains were before us and behind us, and
- they were throwing rocks down upon us from above. We had been
- caught in a trap. Then ten of us set spurs to our horses; and five of us
- forced our way through, but the other five fell before the spears of the
- mountain men. And now, O Roman Fathers! send help to our army at
- once, or every man will be slain, and our city will be taken."
- "What shall we do?" said the white-haired Fathers. "Whom can we send
- but the guards and the boys? and who is wise enough to lead them, and
- thus save Rome?"
- All shook their heads and were very grave; for it seemed as if there was
- no hope. Then one said "Send for Cincinnatus. He will help us."
- Cincinnatus was in the field plowing when the men who had been sent to
- him came in great haste. He stopped and greeted them kindly, and
- waited for them to speak.
- "Put on your cloak, Cincinnatus," they said, "and hear the words of the
- Roman people."
- Then Cincinnatus wondered what they could mean. "Is all well with
- Rome?" he asked; and he called to his wife to bring him his cloak.
- She brought the cloak; and Cincinnatus wiped the dust from his hands
- and arms, and threw it over his shoulders. Then the men told their
- errand.
- They told him how the army with all the noblest men of Rome had been
- entrapped in the mountain pass. They told him about the great danger
- the city was in. Then they said, "The people of Rome make you their
- ruler and the ruler of their city, to do with everything as you choose; and
- the Fathers bid you come at once and go out against our enemies, the
- fierce men of the mountains."
- So Cincinnatus left his plow standing where it was, and hurried to the
- city. When he passed through the streets, and gave orders as to what
- should be done, some of the people were afraid, for they knew that he
- had all power in Rome to do what he pleased. But he armed the guards
- and the boys, and went out at their head to fight the fierce mountain
- men, and free the Roman army from the trap into which it had fallen.
- A few days afterward there was great joy in Rome. There was good news
- from Cincinnatus. The men of the mountains had been beaten with great
- loss. They had been driven back into their own place.
- And now the Roman army, with the boys and the guards, was coming
- home with banners flying and shouts of victory; and at their head rode
- Cincinnatus. He had saved Rome.
- Cincinnatus might then have made himself king; for his word was law,
- and no man dared lift a finger against him. But, before the people could
- thank him enough for what he had done, he gave back the power to the
- white-haired Roman Fathers, and went again to his little farm and his
- plow.
- He had been the ruler of Rome for sixteen days.
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