Heracles - a demi-God in Ancient Greece - was on a mission to prove himself as a true hero. Unfortunately, the Goddesses had decided he must complete tasks set by his odious cousin, King Eurystheus, before they would make him a hero. The King loved to lord it over Heracles.
“Oh, Heracles,” he called one morning, ringing a little bell. “I have a task for you.”
Heracles approached the King, keeping his pride under wraps.
King Eurystheus grinned. “I have decided I would like a bull ring.”
Heracles hadn’t heard of a bull ring, but if Eurystheus wanted one, it probably wasn’t good.
“Go to Crete and bring me back the bull that Minos keeps there,” Eurystheus waved him away. “Run along.”
King Minos was the most powerful King in Ancient Greece. Heracles doubted he would part with his prized bull easily. Nevertheless, Heracles gave King Eurystheus a reluctant bow and left. He was surprised to find King Minos waiting for him when he arrived on the shores of Crete.
“Welcome, mighty Heracles,” Minos said, embracing him like they were old friends. “We are truly honoured to have a hero like you visit our little island.”
Heracles laughed. Crete was anything but a little island. “I am not a hero yet,” he said.
“Nonsense, nonsense,” Minos said. “Never mind about those Goddesses. To us on Crete you’re already a hero.”
King Minos gave Heracles a whole wing of beautiful rooms to stay in. “You must treat my Palace like your home,” he said. Heracles took the King at his word. He bathed in the King’s baths, walked in the King’s gardens and went to the King’s party, which was held in his honour. Heracles had such a wonderful time that he completely forgot to ask the king about the bull that night.
In the morning, Heracles woke to find an invitation from the King. It read: Please join us for Games - held for the hero Heracles.
Heracles arrived at the games field and found King Minos waiting for him.
“Will you honour us by taking part?” King Minos asked.
Heracles couldn’t believe his luck. “Absolutely,” he said, looking around and seeing all his favourite games ready to be played. Heracles won the archery contest, and the cup for riding. He threw the farthest shot-put and jumped the highest high jump. He ran the fastest and, by the end of the day, he was starting to feel like the hero King Minos kept saying he was.
“Heracles,” King Minos cooed. “You must join us tonight, for a feast in honour of your outstanding and comprehensive victories!”
So, that night Heracles went to another feast and had such a good time, he forgot to ask about the bull.
The next day there was a boat ride. The day after there was a hunting competition and the day after that there was a music festival. Every day King Minos had another event, or competition, or festival for Heracles to enjoy and every evening there was a feast, in his honour.
Heracles was enjoying himself so much he never wanted to leave. He had completely forgotten why he was there. Until the Goddess, Athena, paid him a visit.
“Heracles, you disappoint me,” she said. “Have you forgotten why you’re here?”
Heracles shrugged. “No. I just thought it would be OK to enjoy myself for a change.” King Minos treats me the way I should be treated, he thought to himself.
Athena raised a wise eyebrow. “Are you so blinded by his flattery? You can’t see what he’s doing?”
Heracles blinked. “What’s he doing?”
“He’s distracting you Heracles, he doesn’t want you to complete the task.”
Heracles didn’t want to believe it. “That’s nonsense,” he said. “I will go now and ask Minos to hand over the bull.”
King Minos saw Heracles coming. “Ah here he is, the great hero. Come, I have a surprise for you.”
“First, I must ask you about your bull,” Heracles said.
King Minos’ smile didn’t falter, he ushered Heracles to the window, where the curtains were drawn. “Have you seen what’s in the gardens this morning, Heracles?” Minos drew open the curtains and revealed a huge marble statue of Heracles.
“Wow,” Heracles had never seen himself through the eyes of others, “I look great… Hey! Hang on, are you trying to distract me?”
“Of course not,” King Minos said, “Oh look! The singers have arrived. I have composed a song, in your honour, I’m calling it The Greatest Hero… Ever Born.”
The singers began their song, but Heracles wasn’t listening. Athena is right, he realised King Minos was trying to distract him from his task. Well, it isn’t going to work, Heracles determined. Later that day, when the King was organising yet another feast in Heracles’ honour, Heracles went in search of the bull. He searched the stables, the fields, the gardens and even the kitchen but he couldn’t find the bull anywhere. Finally, he came across a strange circular theatre. There was a huge crowd of people rushing to get inside.
“Quickly, they’re about to release the bull!” shouted an excited boy as he scampered past. Heracles followed the boy into the ring, there were steps all around the outside and a sandy circular area in the middle. Heracles had never seen anything like it.
Suddenly a huge, beautiful white bull came charging out of an opening in the wall. Heracles stood up. “The bull!” So this was where Minos was hiding it. He was impressed. The bull was a magnificent creature with a coat of pure white and shoulders almost as muscly as his own. Heracles wasn’t surprised everyone had come to admire it. But then something strange happened. A man, dressed in black, came into the ring. He had with him a spear and he began to prod and cajole the bull. The bull was trying to get away, but the man chased it and speared it in the side.
“Hey! Stop that!” Heracles shouted. But around him the crowd cheered.
Frightened and confused, the bull began to lash out angrily. This made the crowd happier, they called things to the man like, “Get it!” “Kill it!” “Tame the wild beast!”
The man thrust his spear into the bull’s side again, the bull cried out in pain and Heracles jumped into the ring.
“Give me that!” he grabbed the man’s spear and broke it in two, like it was nothing but a mere twig. Then he picked the bull up, threw it onto his shoulders and ran out of the ring.
Heracles ran and he ran and he ran until he was on the far side of Crete, where only shepherds and sheep lived. Only then, did he stop and put the bull down. With gentle words, Heracles used his strength to calm the creature. When the bull realised Heracles meant him no harm, it curled up next to Heracles and fell into a much needed sleep.
“So that’s a bull ring,” Heracles said to himself. He looked at the slumbering bull. There was no way he was taking this beautiful, gentle creature to King Eurystheus to be poked and jeered at. So, even though Heracles knew he would fail his task and possibly jeopardize his chance of becoming a hero, he called on the Goddess of Animals, Artemis.
“Please, take him under your protection,” he said to her.
Artemis promised to take good care of the bull. Heracles knew that she would. He returned to Eurystheus ready to admit he had failed, but he didn’t feel remotely sad about it, in fact he felt like he had done something truly heroic.
The End
“Oh, Heracles,” he called one morning, ringing a little bell. “I have a task for you.”
Heracles approached the King, keeping his pride under wraps.
King Eurystheus grinned. “I have decided I would like a bull ring.”
Heracles hadn’t heard of a bull ring, but if Eurystheus wanted one, it probably wasn’t good.
“Go to Crete and bring me back the bull that Minos keeps there,” Eurystheus waved him away. “Run along.”
King Minos was the most powerful King in Ancient Greece. Heracles doubted he would part with his prized bull easily. Nevertheless, Heracles gave King Eurystheus a reluctant bow and left. He was surprised to find King Minos waiting for him when he arrived on the shores of Crete.
“Welcome, mighty Heracles,” Minos said, embracing him like they were old friends. “We are truly honoured to have a hero like you visit our little island.”
Heracles laughed. Crete was anything but a little island. “I am not a hero yet,” he said.
“Nonsense, nonsense,” Minos said. “Never mind about those Goddesses. To us on Crete you’re already a hero.”
King Minos gave Heracles a whole wing of beautiful rooms to stay in. “You must treat my Palace like your home,” he said. Heracles took the King at his word. He bathed in the King’s baths, walked in the King’s gardens and went to the King’s party, which was held in his honour. Heracles had such a wonderful time that he completely forgot to ask the king about the bull that night.
In the morning, Heracles woke to find an invitation from the King. It read: Please join us for Games - held for the hero Heracles.
Heracles arrived at the games field and found King Minos waiting for him.
“Will you honour us by taking part?” King Minos asked.
Heracles couldn’t believe his luck. “Absolutely,” he said, looking around and seeing all his favourite games ready to be played. Heracles won the archery contest, and the cup for riding. He threw the farthest shot-put and jumped the highest high jump. He ran the fastest and, by the end of the day, he was starting to feel like the hero King Minos kept saying he was.
“Heracles,” King Minos cooed. “You must join us tonight, for a feast in honour of your outstanding and comprehensive victories!”
So, that night Heracles went to another feast and had such a good time, he forgot to ask about the bull.
The next day there was a boat ride. The day after there was a hunting competition and the day after that there was a music festival. Every day King Minos had another event, or competition, or festival for Heracles to enjoy and every evening there was a feast, in his honour.
Heracles was enjoying himself so much he never wanted to leave. He had completely forgotten why he was there. Until the Goddess, Athena, paid him a visit.
“Heracles, you disappoint me,” she said. “Have you forgotten why you’re here?”
Heracles shrugged. “No. I just thought it would be OK to enjoy myself for a change.” King Minos treats me the way I should be treated, he thought to himself.
Athena raised a wise eyebrow. “Are you so blinded by his flattery? You can’t see what he’s doing?”
Heracles blinked. “What’s he doing?”
“He’s distracting you Heracles, he doesn’t want you to complete the task.”
Heracles didn’t want to believe it. “That’s nonsense,” he said. “I will go now and ask Minos to hand over the bull.”
King Minos saw Heracles coming. “Ah here he is, the great hero. Come, I have a surprise for you.”
“First, I must ask you about your bull,” Heracles said.
King Minos’ smile didn’t falter, he ushered Heracles to the window, where the curtains were drawn. “Have you seen what’s in the gardens this morning, Heracles?” Minos drew open the curtains and revealed a huge marble statue of Heracles.
“Wow,” Heracles had never seen himself through the eyes of others, “I look great… Hey! Hang on, are you trying to distract me?”
“Of course not,” King Minos said, “Oh look! The singers have arrived. I have composed a song, in your honour, I’m calling it The Greatest Hero… Ever Born.”
The singers began their song, but Heracles wasn’t listening. Athena is right, he realised King Minos was trying to distract him from his task. Well, it isn’t going to work, Heracles determined. Later that day, when the King was organising yet another feast in Heracles’ honour, Heracles went in search of the bull. He searched the stables, the fields, the gardens and even the kitchen but he couldn’t find the bull anywhere. Finally, he came across a strange circular theatre. There was a huge crowd of people rushing to get inside.
“Quickly, they’re about to release the bull!” shouted an excited boy as he scampered past. Heracles followed the boy into the ring, there were steps all around the outside and a sandy circular area in the middle. Heracles had never seen anything like it.
Suddenly a huge, beautiful white bull came charging out of an opening in the wall. Heracles stood up. “The bull!” So this was where Minos was hiding it. He was impressed. The bull was a magnificent creature with a coat of pure white and shoulders almost as muscly as his own. Heracles wasn’t surprised everyone had come to admire it. But then something strange happened. A man, dressed in black, came into the ring. He had with him a spear and he began to prod and cajole the bull. The bull was trying to get away, but the man chased it and speared it in the side.
“Hey! Stop that!” Heracles shouted. But around him the crowd cheered.
Frightened and confused, the bull began to lash out angrily. This made the crowd happier, they called things to the man like, “Get it!” “Kill it!” “Tame the wild beast!”
The man thrust his spear into the bull’s side again, the bull cried out in pain and Heracles jumped into the ring.
“Give me that!” he grabbed the man’s spear and broke it in two, like it was nothing but a mere twig. Then he picked the bull up, threw it onto his shoulders and ran out of the ring.
Heracles ran and he ran and he ran until he was on the far side of Crete, where only shepherds and sheep lived. Only then, did he stop and put the bull down. With gentle words, Heracles used his strength to calm the creature. When the bull realised Heracles meant him no harm, it curled up next to Heracles and fell into a much needed sleep.
“So that’s a bull ring,” Heracles said to himself. He looked at the slumbering bull. There was no way he was taking this beautiful, gentle creature to King Eurystheus to be poked and jeered at. So, even though Heracles knew he would fail his task and possibly jeopardize his chance of becoming a hero, he called on the Goddess of Animals, Artemis.
“Please, take him under your protection,” he said to her.
Artemis promised to take good care of the bull. Heracles knew that she would. He returned to Eurystheus ready to admit he had failed, but he didn’t feel remotely sad about it, in fact he felt like he had done something truly heroic.
The End
The twelve labours of Heracles (aka Hercules) is an epic from Ancient Greece. My version has been created from various sources and many years telling this story. This particular version was written for open source education for onebillion.org. If you want to republish or tell this version, I'd appreciate a link back to this site of credit given. Many thanks.
