Now her spirit did not know itself but her body awaited the beating of the Swan’s wings.
CHAPTER II
One evening, as she was hardly awake and thought of continuing her dream, because a long streak of yellow daylight still flowed behind the darkness of the forest, her attention was attracted by the sound of the reeds near her and she saw the apparition of a Swan.
The beautiful bird was as white as a woman, splendid as the light and gleaming like a cloud. It seemed to be like a midday sky, its form and its winged spirit. That is why it was called Dzeus.
Lêda knew it to be looking at her as it flew and walked in turn. It circled around the nymph at a distance and looked sidelong at her. Even when it was almost touching her it still continued to approach, and rising on its red feet it stretched its graceful and undulating neck as high as possible before her young thighs.
Lêda’s astonished hands carefully grasped its little head and caressed it. The bird fluttered all its feathers, with its soft and feathery wings it gripped her naked legs and bent them; Lêda let herself fall upon the ground.
She covered her face with her two hands. She experienced neither fear nor shame but inexpressible joy and a beating of the heart which made her breasts tremble.
She did not realize or understand what was about to happen. She did not even understand why she was happy. She felt along her arms the supple neck of the Swan.