hērōs (The Hero)

When I and Aucissa were younger, the winter was very cold. Aucissa ran with her friend to the frozen river. Aucissa said, 'Look, I can walk on the river!' She went far across the ice. Suddenly they heard a crashing sound. There was a crack in the ice, and Aucissa suddenly fell into the cold water. The friend and Aucissa, terrified, were shouting. A Roman soldier heard the girls and ran to the river. He caught sight of Aucissa in the water. Immediately he put down his weapons. The friend and the soldier advanced slowly over the ice. 'I am here, girl!' the soldier shouted. He was coming to Aucissa, but Aucissa could not swim, and she vanished under the ice. The soldier jumped into the water and also vanished. There was silence. Finally Aucissa and the soldier appeared. The soldier pushed her out of the water onto the ice. Now Aucissa was lying on the ice and the friend was trying to drag the soldier out of the water. But the soldier was too heavy, the girl not strong, the ice not firm.