艘船和大批随从，浩浩荡荡地驾船朝西北方向出发了。他经过闻名的巴哈马群岛时，只要那里有土著人居住，他都会停下来询问。

“比米尼群岛在哪里？神奇的青春之泉在哪里？”

他们遥指西北，都说不远了，不远了。不过没有人见过那个神奇的喷泉，但是庞塞深信，大家都听说过这个喷泉。

最后，在离巴哈马群岛很远的地方，他发现了一个奇异的海岸，这个岛似乎长满了鲜花。这里是比米尼岛吗？

没人能确定。海岸向北、向南延伸开来，庞塞确定这不是岛屿，而是一个大洲的大陆。这一天正好是复活节，在西班牙又叫百花节。因为这个缘故，再加上这里遍地是鲜花，西班牙人把它命名为佛罗里达。

青春之泉（2）

庞塞在海岸的很多地方登陆，寻找神奇的喷泉。他喝了所到之处的清澈的泉水，还在许多清澈的河流里洗过澡，但是他的青春仍然没有回来。

他向南行进、绕到佛罗里达西岸，不停地问着——

“这是比米尼岛吗？青春之泉在哪里？”

但是居住在那里的印第安人从未听说过比米尼群岛，他们也从未听说过青春之泉。最后，庞塞伤心地放弃了，然后失望地回到了波多黎各。

9年之后，他又一次到达佛罗里达。这一次他带了很多人，目的是征服这个国家，抢夺能找到的所有财宝。此外，他还想勘察那里的森林和河流，寻找神奇的青春之泉。

佛罗里达的印第安人没有任何财宝，但他们勇敢顽强，而且热爱自己的土地。他们不会被征服，也不会缴枪投降甘心做奴隶。当西班牙的侵略者踏上这片土地时，他们就遭到当地人的打击，最后被迫退回到他们的船舰上。

庞塞在战斗中中了箭，他的大腿也受了伤。

“把我送回西班牙，”他说，“我永远不会找到青春之泉。”

他的船带他回到了古巴，但他的伤无法医治。他在痛苦中拖了很长的时间，最后在哀叹他早逝的青春的遗憾中死去了。

The Fountain of Youth

AMONG the Spaniards who flocked to America in the hope of finding gold, there was a certain officer whose name was Juan Ponce de León. He had distinguished himself in the Spanish army and was very rich. He also had much influence with the king—so much, in fact, that he was soon appointed governor of all the eastern part of Haiti.

While attending to his duties in Haiti, he learned that at some distance farther eastward there was a rich island abounding in gold and other precious metals. The Indians called this island Borinquen; it was the same land which Columbus had discovered a few years before and called Porto Rico.

Ponce de León was so much pleased by the reports which were brought to him of the great wealth of Porto Rico that he at once made up his mind to get that wealth for himself. The king of Spain was very willing to please him and to hāve a share of the profits, and therefore appointed him governor of Porto Rico. Ponce was not a man to waste time in any undertaking. With eight stanch ships and several hundred men, he at once set sail for his new province and in due time landed upon the island.

The natives were kind and gentle. They welcomed the white men to their pleasant country and tried to help them in such ways as they could. Ponce de León repaid them as the Spaniards at that time usually repaid a kindness,—he robbed them of all they had and made slāves of as many as he could. Then at length the harassed sāvages turned against their oppressors and tried to drive them from the island; but what could they do against enemies so cunning and strong?

Ponce was as heartless and unfeeling as any wild beast. Soon the once happy island was filled with distress and terror. The Indians were hunted from their homes. Thousands of them were killed, and the rest became the slāves of their conq-uerors.

Ponce began to form a settlement at a place now called Pueblo Viejo; but he soon changed his plans and removed to a fine harbor on the north shore of the island. There he laid out the city of San Juan. He built for himself, near the mouth of the harbor, a grand house which he called Casa Blanca, or the White Castle; and there he made his home for some time.

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 slāve 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.”

“Hāve you ever been there?”

“Ah, no. It is too far away for any of our people to make the voyage. But we hāve 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 leāving the Bahamas far behind them, the Sp-aniards discovered a strange coast where the land seemed to be cov-ered with flowers. Was this Bimini?

Nobody could tell. The coast stretched so far northward and southward that Ponce felt sure it was no island but the mainland of a continent. The day was Easter Sunday, which in Spain is called Pascua de Flores, or the Feast of Flowers. For this reason, and also because of the abundance of flowers, the Spaniards named the land Florida.

Ponce de Le?仵n went on shore at many places and sought for the wonderful fountain. He drank from every clear spring. He bathed in many a limpid stream. But his lost youth did not come back to him.

He sailed southward and around to the western coast of Florida, asking everywhere, —

“Is this Bimini? And where is the fountain of youth?”

But the Indians who lived there had never heard of Bimini, and they knew of no fountain of youth. And so, at last, the search was given up, and Ponce returned disappointed to Porto Rico.

Nine years passed, and then he sailed again for Florida. This time he took a number of men with him in order to conquer the country and seize upon whatever treasures he might find there. More than this, he expected to explore its woods and rivers and seek again for the mysterious fountain of youth.

The Florida Indians did not hāve any treasures; but they were brāve and loved their homes. They would not be conquered and enslāved without a struggle. They therefore fell upon the Spaniards when they landed, and drove them back to their ships.

Ponce de Le?仵n was struck by an arrow. He was wounded in the thigh.

“Take me back to Spain,” said he, “for I shall never find the fountain of youth.”

His ship carried him to Cuba; but no skill could heal his wound. He lingered in pain for a long time, and then died, bewailing his lost youth.

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“我发现了！”（1）

从前，叙拉古有一个国王，他的名字叫希尔罗。他统治的国家非常小，正因为这个原因，他却想戴上世界上最大的王冠。所以，他找来一个擅长做各种细致­精­巧工艺品的著名金匠。希尔罗给了他十磅纯金。

“拿着，”希尔罗说，“用它做成其他国王都想得到的王冠。你得保证我给你的每一两黄金都不浪费，并且不能混进其它金属。”

“我会按你所说的去做的。我从你这里拿了十磅纯金，90天之后，我会如数奉还一个十磅的王冠的。”金匠说。