Myths and Legends of All Nations | Page 5

fast. But the
snake wrapped itself around one of his feet. Then he began with his
sword to cut off its heads. But this looked like an endless task, for no
sooner had he cut off one head than two grew in its place. At the same
time an enormous crab came to the help of the hydra and began biting
the hero's foot. Killing this with his club, he called to Iolaus for help.
The latter had lighted a torch, set fire to a portion of the nearby wood,
and with brands therefrom touched the serpent's newly growing heads
and prevented them from living. In this way the hero was at last master
of the situation and was able to cut off even the head of the hydra that
could not be killed. This he buried deep in the ground and rolled a
heavy stone over the place. The body of the hydra he cut into half,
dipping his arrows in the blood, which was poisonous.
From that time the wounds made by the arrows of Hercules were fatal.
THE THIRD LABOR
The third demand of Eurystheus was that Hercules bring to him alive
the hind Cerynitis. This was a noble animal, with horns of gold and feet
of iron. She lived on a hill in Arcadia, and was one of the five hinds
which the goddess Diana had caught on her first hunt. This one, of all
the five, was permitted to run loose again in the woods, for it was
decreed by fate that Hercules should one day hunt her.
For a whole year Hercules pursued her; came at last to the river Ladon;
and there captured the hind, not far from the city Oenon, on the
mountains of Diana. But he knew of no way of becoming master of the
animal without wounding her, so he lamed her with an arrow and then

carried her over his shoulder through Arcadia.
Here he met Diana herself with Apollo, who scolded him for wishing to
kill the animal that she had held sacred, and was about to take it from
him.
"Impiety did not move me, great goddess," said Hercules in his own
defense, "but only the direst necessity. How otherwise could I hold my
own against Eurystheus?"
And thus he softened the anger of the goddess and brought the animal
to Mycene.
THE FOURTH LABOR
Then Hercules set out on his fourth undertaking. It consisted in
bringing alive to Mycene a boar which, likewise sacred to Diana, was
laying waste the country around the mountain of Erymanthus.
On his wanderings in search of this adventure he came to the dwelling
of Pholus, the son of Silenus. Like all Centaurs, Pholus was half man
and half horse. He received his guest with hospitality and set before
him broiled meat, while he himself ate raw. But Hercules, not satisfied
with this, wished also to have something good to drink.
"Dear guest," said Pholus, "there is a cask in my cellar; but it belongs to
all the Centaurs jointly, and I hesitate to open it because I know how
little they welcome guests."
"Open it with good courage," answered Hercules, "I promise to defend
you against all displeasure."
As it happened, the cask of wine had been given to the Centaurs by
Bacchus, the god of wine, with the command that they should not open
it until, after four centuries, Hercules should appear in their midst.
Pholus went to the cellar and opened the wonderful cask. But scarcely
had he done so when the Centaurs caught the perfume of the rare old

wine, and, armed with stones and pine clubs, surrounded the cave of
Pholus. The first who tried to force their way in Hercules drove back
with brands he seized from the fire. The rest he pursued with bow and
arrow, driving them back to Malea, where lived the good Centaur,
Chiron, Hercules' old friend. To him his brother Centaurs had fled for
protection.
But Hercules still continued shooting, and sent an arrow through the
arm of an old Centaur, which unhappily went quite through and fell on
Chiron's knee, piercing the flesh. Then for the first time Hercules
recognized his friend of former days, ran to him in great distress, pulled
out the arrow, and laid healing ointment on the wound, as the wise
Chiron himself had taught him. But the wound, filled with the poison of
the hydra, could not be healed; so the centaur was carried into his cave.
There he wished to die in the arms of his friend. Vain wish! The poor
Centaur had forgotten that he was immortal, and though wounded
would not die.
Then Hercules with many tears bade farewell to his old teacher and
promised to send to him, no matter at what