Mini-myths
First up this month is a lively re-telling of the first of the Labours of Hercules, the Nemean Lion.
HERCULES and the NEMEAN LION
Eurystheus was king of Argolis. He was a weedy weakling and lived in a great fortress. He was overjoyed to have his strong cousin as a slave.
"You look a strong chap," the king blurted rudely, "You should make a breeze of my tasks. You will refer to me as 'master' and nothing else. Am I completely clear? Your first task is to find and kill the Nemean lion. No one can kill it as not even an arrow can graze its skin. You will bring it back to me, dead!"
So Hercules set out. On his way he met a shepherd who said he had no hope. To this Hercules replied, "If I haven't rerturned within thirty days, then offer a sacrifice, not to Zeus but to me." And he was off.
After weeks of boring searching he found what he was looking for. Hercules followed it and hid. He chose his moment and fired an arrow which the lion hardly noticed. Next Hercules ran at the lion with his sword but it bent harmlessly. Hercules hit the lion with a club and then strangled it. The lion's last action was to bite of one of Hercules's fingers. He realised that only the lion's razor sharp claws could pierce its skin. So he used them to cut off its skin which he then put on his back as a cloak. On his journey back to the king, Hercules saw the shepherd preparing a sacrifice and he said joyfully, "I'll join you in your prayers, but make them to Zeus in gratefulness for my safe return.
Then Hercules went to the king and chucked the lion in front of Eurystheus who said, "Take that away and go and kill the Lernean Hydra!" But that's another story. Â
TOMMY in C FORM
And now the winning entry in the A Form mini-myth challenge: to tell the story of Perseus and Medusa in just 150 words.
PERSEUS and MEDUSA
Perseus lived on Seriphos with this mother Danae. Polydectes wanted Danae to marry him. As she didn't want to, Polydectes wanted to get rid of Perseus. Polydectes invited Perseus to a banquet. Everyone else came with gifts, except Perseus. Perseus said that he would bring a better gift than them. He went off to bring Medusa's head as Medusa could turn anyone to stone. The Gods helped Perseus by giving him a shiny shield, a sharp sword, a hiding cap, fast shoes to help him escape and a bag for the head. They told him to see the grey sisters. Perseus saw that they only had one eye between them. He snatched it from them and forced them to tell where Medusa was. Perseus found Medusa and cut her head off. He took it to the palace, pulled out the head and turned the court to stone.
JAMES - A FORM
