Hercules

One day, in her palace in Greece, Princess Alcmene has a son. She calls the boy Hercules.

"What a big, strong boy!", say Alcmene's friends when they see him.

"Of course he's big and strong", smiles Alcmene. "His father's Zeus, king of the gods".

But not everybody likes Hercules. The goddess Hera is looking through the palace window. Hera is Zeus's wife - and she's far from happy.

"When I see that boy", says Hera, "I remember his mother, Alcmene. Why does Zeus always run after different women? It's not right. I'm his wife! He never thinks of me!"

She leaves Alcmene's palace angrily.

Some nights later, Hera comes back - and she puts two big snakes in Hercules's bed. "Goodbye, little boy!", she laughs.

But when Hera comes back next morning, Hercules is alive. He has the dead snakes in his hands.

"Grrr!", cries Hera angrily. "You wait. I'm watching you, Hercules. You can't get away from me!"

Later, when Hercules is older, he has many teachers. They come to the palace and teach him there. But he is not a very good student. He doesn't find it easy to learn, and he is often angry when he can't understand things.

In the end, Alcmene sends Hercules away to some hills in the country near Thebes. He feels better there. He can run through the trees happily for hours, and there are lions for him to fight. Soon after he arrives, some people come to the hills because they want to take the King of Thebes's cows, but Hercules stops them.

When King Creon of Thebes hears about Hercules, he speaks to his daughter.

"Megara", he says, "Hercules is a good strong young man. Would you like to marry him?"

"Yes, Father", answers Megara.

So Creon's men go and speak to Hercules, and he comes to Thebes and marries Megara. Soon they have three sons.

Hercules is happy with his beautiful wife and his young sons. But Hera is angry. "Alcmene's son is doing well", she says. "I must change that".

Very early one morning - when Hercules, Megara and their sons are in their beds - Hera sends a black cloud over Hercules's head. He opens his eyes, but he can't see a thing through the cloud. Suddenly there are four men in black in front of him. They want to kill Megara and the boys. "I must stop them", thinks Hercules. He fights the men and kills them one by one. Then he goes back to sleep. Later, when he opens his eyes, there are no men there, only his wife and sons. But their bodies are cold, and they do not move or speak. Suddenly Hercules feels afraid.

"Oh, no!", he cries. "My wife and sons are dead! And I'm their killer. It's the work of one of the gods. He - or she - is angry with me!"

Hercules goes to King Creon and says, "The gods are angry with me. Help me!"

"Very well", says Creon. "What's the matter?"

Hercules tells Creon everything. The king's face is white when he hears about his daughter and his grandsons.

"Leave my palace at once", says Creon. "I can do nothing for you. Go to Delphi and talk to the priestess there. Perhaps she can help".

At Delphi, the priestess tells Hercules:

"It's a very bad crime when a man kills his wife and sons. So you're right. The gods are angry with you".

"I know that, but what can I do about it?", asks Hercules.

"For twelve years you must work for King Eurystheus, and do twelve tasks for him", says the priestess. "When you finish, the gods can forgive your crime".

"Oh no! Not my cousin Eurystheus", thinks Hercules. "He doesn't like me because I'm bigger and stronger than him. And now I'm working for him!"

Hercules goes to King Eurystheus and tells him about the twelve tasks.

"All right, Hercules!", smiles Eurystheus coldly. "I have a first task for you. There's a big, hungry lion in Nemea. It's eating everybody there! Kill it, and bring its dead body back to me".

Hercules leaves Eurystheus's palace at once.

"Good luck with your first - and last - task, Hercules", laughs the king.

Just then, the goddess Hera arrives.

"Good work, Eurystheus. Hercules is a dead man, I think", she laughs. "No one can fight that lion and get away alive".

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palace a big house where a king lives

princess the daughter of a king

strong with a body that works well

king the most important man in a country

god an important being who never dies and who decides what happens in the world

goddess a woman god

wife a woman living with a man

snake a long animal with no legs

send to make someone go somewhere

lion a big yellow animal with long brown hair round its face

fight to hit again and again

cow an animal that gives milk

marry to make sumeone your husband or wife

cloud a big white or grey thing in the sky

priestess a woman who works in a temple

crime killing someone, or doing something very bad

task work

forgive to stop being angry with someone after they do something bad

cousin the son (or daughter) of your mother's (or father's) sister (or brother)