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Then his grandfather kissed him in return and gave him a beautiful dress to wear and, as a mark of royal favour, adorned him with necklaces and bracelets; and if he went out for a ride anywhere, he took the boy along upon a horse with a gold-studded bridle, just as he himself was accustomed to go. And as Cyrus was a boy fond of beautiful things and eager for distinction, he was pleased with his dress and greatly delighted at learning to ride; for in Persia, on account of its being difficult to breed horses and to practise horsemanship because it is a mountainous country, it was a very rare thing even to see a horse.

And then again, when Astyages dined with[*](A Median dinner) his daughter and Cyrus, he set before him dainty side-dishes and all sorts of sauces and meats, for he wished the boy to enjoy his dinner as much as possible, in order that he might be less likely to feel homesick. And Cyrus, they say, observed: How much trouble you have at your dinner, grandfather, if you have to reach out your hands to all these dishes and taste of all these different kinds of food! Why so? said Astyages. Really now, don’t you think this dinner much finer than your Persian dinners? No, grandfather, Cyrus replied to this; but the road to satiety is much more simple and direct in our country than with you; for bread and meat take us there; but you, though you make for the same goal as we, go wandering through many a maze, up and down, and only arrive at last at the point that we long since have reached.

But, my boy, said Astyages, we do not object to this wandering about; and you also, he added, if you taste, will see that it is pleasant. But, grandfather, said Cyrus, I observe that even you are disgusted with these viands. And by what, pray, do you judge, my boy, asked Astyages, that you say this?Because said he, I observe that when you touch bread, you do not wipe your hand on anything; but when you touch any of these other things you at once cleanse your hand upon your napkin, as if you were exceedingly displeased that it had become soiled with them.

Well then, my boy, Astyages replied to this, if that is your judgment, at least regale yourself with meat, that you may go back home a strong young man. And as he said this, he placed before him an abundance of meat of both wild and domestic animals.And when Cyrus saw that there was a great quantity of meat, he said: And do you really mean to give me all this meat, grandfather, to dispose of as I please? Yes, by Zeus, said he, I do.

Thereupon Cyrus took some of the meat and proceeded to distribute it among his grandfather’s servants, saying to them in turn: I give this to you, because you take so much pains to teach me to ride; to you, because you gave me a spear, for at present this is all I have to give; to you, because you serve my grandfather so well; and to you, because you are respectful to my mother. He kept on thus, while he was distributing all the meat that he had received.

But said Astyages, are you not going to[*](Cyrus and the cupbearer) give any to Sacas, my cupbearer, whom I like best of all? Now Sacas, it seems, chanced to be a handsome fellow who had the office of introducing to Astyages those who had business with him and of keeping out those whom he thought it not expedient to admit. And Cyrus asked pertly, as a boy might do who was not yet at all shy, Pray, grandfather, why do you like this fellow so much? And Astyages replied with a jest: Do you not see, said he, how nicely and gracefully he pours the wine? Now the cupbearers of those kings perform their office with fine airs; they pour in the wine with neatness and then present the goblet, conveying it with three fingers, and offer it in such a way as to place it most conveniently in the grasp of the one who is to drink.