Page 76 - SpringBoard_ELA_Grade7_Flipbook

aCTIvITy 1.11
continued
My Notes
28 The sun hawk seized the softly glowing rug at the foot of the throne and flew away with it. She summoned three of her companions, and they each took a corner of the rug. They flew over a desert and a mountain and a wood and came to the field where Phaethon lay. They flew down among the howling of wolves, among burning eyes set in a circle about the unconscious boy. They pushed him onto the rug, and each took a corner in her beak, and flew away.
29 Phaethon felt himself being lifted into the air. The cold wind of his going revived him, and he sat up. People below saw a boy sitting with folded arms on a carpet rushing through the cold, bright moonlight far above their heads. It was too dark, though, to see the birds, and that is why we hear tales of flying carpets even to this day.
30 Phaethon was not particularly surprised to find himself in the air. The last thing he remembered was lying down on the grass. Now he knew he was dreaming. A good dream — floating and flying — his favorite kind. And when he saw the great cloud castle on top of the mountain, all made of snow, rise in the early light, he
was more sure than ever that he was dreaming. He saw sentries in flashing golden armor, carrying golden spears. In the courtyard he saw enormous woolly dogs with fleece like clouddrift guarding the gate. These were Apollo’s great sun hounds.
31 Over the wall flew the carpet, over the courtyard, through the tall portals. And it wasn’t until the sun hawks gently let down the carpet in front of the throne that he began to think that this dream might be very real. He raised his eyes shyly and saw a tall figure sitting on the throne. Taller than any man, and appallingly beautiful to the boy — with his golden hair and stormy blue eyes and strong laughing face. Phaethon fell on his knees.
Chunk 4
32 “Father,” he cried. “I am Phaethon, your son!”
33 “Rise, Phaethon. Let me look at you.”
34 He stood up, his legs trembling.
35 “Yes, you may well be my son. I seem to see a resemblance. Which one did
you say?”
36 “Phaethon.”
Unit 1 • The Choices We Make 49
appallingly: amazingly
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