He had been taught to play the lyre by Apollo, god of music, and there were those who said that the pupil played better than the teacher. Orpheus wrote his own songs, both words and music. The fishermen used to coax him to go sailing with them, for the fish would come up from the depths of the sea to hear him. They would sit on their tails and listen to him play, and so they became easy for the fishermen to catch. But they were not always caught, for as soon as Orpheus began to play, the fishermen forgot all about their nets. They sat on deck and listened, their mouths open — just like the fish. And when Orpheus had finished, the fish dived, the fishermen awoke, and all was as before. When Orpheus played in the fields, animals followed him — sheep and cows and goats. Not only the tame animals, but the wild ones too — the shy deer, and wolves and bears. They all followed him. They streamed across the fields, so busy listening that the bears and wolves did not think of eating the sheep until the music had stopped, and it was too late.
