Books: Heroes Every Child Should Know

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Because of this avarice of Minos the god below the waves was angry
and he made the bull wild and furious, so that no herdsman dared
approach to feed or care for it. For his seventh task Eurystheus
commanded Hercules to fetch him this mad bull of Crete.

Hercules accordingly boarded one of the ships that plied in that
far-off day, as well as in this time of ours, between the rocky
coast of Crete and the fair land of Hellas, and in due time the hero
came to Minos' court. "I have come, sire," said Hercules, "for the
mad bull that terrifies thy herdsmen and is rumoured beyond
capture." "Ay, young man," cried the king, "thou hast come for my
bull and my bull shalt thou have. When thou hast taken it, it is
thine," and the King laughed grimly, for the strength and fury of
the creature he deemed beyond any man's control.

Hercules sought the grove where Posidon's gift had strayed from its
fellows, and there deftly seizing it by the horns, he bound its feet
with stout straps of bull's hide and its horns he padded with moss
of the sea from which it came, and so having made it powerless he
lifted it to his shoulders and carried it to the shore. A swift
black ship was just spreading sail from Crete, and entering upon it
the hero soon ended his journey and laid his capture before
Eurystheus. A day or two later Hercules loosed the bull, which,
after wandering through the woodlands of Arcadia, crossed the
isthmus and came to the plains of Marathon, whence, after doing much
damage, it swam off to sea and was never heard of after.

So far we have told how Hercules accomplished seven of the tasks
laid upon him. Space does not permit us to recount in detail the
other five. The eighth task was to bring to Eurystheus the man-
eating mares of the King of Windy Thrace. The ninth task was to
fetch a girdle which Ares, god of war, had given the Queen of the
Amazons--an exceedingly difficult labour, for the Amazons were a
nation of women-warriors renowned for valour. For the tenth task
Eurystheus demanded the purple oxen of a famous giant who dwelt on
an island far out in the ocean. The eleventh task was to bring
apples from the garden of the Hesperides--golden apples guarded by a
dragon with a hundred heads, no one of which ever closed its eyes in
sleep. And the twelfth and last task, which was to free the mighty
Hercules from his bondage to cowardly Eurystheus, was to fetch
Cerberus, the three-headed dog, who guarded the entrance to Hades,
the unseen abode of departed spirits.

Each and every one of these labours the strong hero accomplished.
Having won his freedom and gained the honours promised by the
priestess at Delphi many years before, Hercules worked many a noble
deed and finally in reward for his much enduring and his aid to
mortals, he was carried upon a thunder cloud to the upper air, and
entered into the very gates of heaven.

CHAPTER III

DANIEL

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty
princes, which should be over the whole kingdom.

And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the
princes might give accounts unto them, and the King should have no
damage.

Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes,
because an excellent spirit was in him; and the King thought to set
him over the whole realm.

Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against
Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor
fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or
fault found in him.

Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this
Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the King,
and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.

All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes,
the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to
establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever
shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of
thee, O King, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

Now, O King, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be
not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which
altereth not.

Wherefore King Darius signed the writing and the decree.

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his
house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem,
he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave
thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making
supplication before his God.

Then they came near, and spake before the King concerning the King's
decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask
a petition of any god or man within thirty days, save of thee, O
King, shall be cast into the den of lions? The King answered and
said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and
Persians, which altereth not.

Then answered they and said before the King, That Daniel, which is
of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O
King, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition
three times a day.

Then the King, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with
himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured
till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

Then these men assembled unto the King, and said unto the King,
Know, O King, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no
decree nor statute which the King establisheth may be changed.

Then the King commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into
the den of lions. Now the King spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God
whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the
King sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his
lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

Then the King went to his palace, and passed the night fasting:
neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep
went from him.

Then the King arose very early in the morning, and went in haste
unto the den of lions.

And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto
Daniel: and the King spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of
the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to
deliver thee from the lions?

Then said Daniel unto the King, O King, live for ever.

My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that
they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found
in me: and also before thee, O King, have I done no hurt.

Then was the King exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they
should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of
the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he
believed in his God.

CHAPTER IV

DAVID

The Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were
gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched
between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.

And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched
by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the
Philistines.

And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel
stood on a mountain on the other side; and there was a valley
between them.

And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines,
named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a
coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels
of brass.

And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass
between his shoulders.

And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's
head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and one bearing a shield
went before him.

And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto
them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a
Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and
let him come down to me.

If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your
servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye
be our servants, and serve us.

And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give
me a man, that we may fight together.

When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they
were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-judah, whose
name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men
for an old man in the days of Saul.

And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the
battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were
Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third
Shammah.

And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.

But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at
Bethlehem.

And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented
himself forty days.

And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an
ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the
camp to thy brethren;

And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and
look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.

Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of
Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a
keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came
to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted
for the battle.

For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array army
against army.

And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the
carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.

And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the
Philistine of Gam, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the
Philistines, and spake according to the same words; and David heard
them.

And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and
were sore afraid.

And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up?
surely to defy Israel is he come up; and it shall be, that the man
who killeth him, the King will enrich him with great riches, and
will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in
Israel.

And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be
done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the
reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that
he should defy the armies of the living God?

And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it
be done to the man that killeth him.

And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and
Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest
thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in
the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine
heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same
manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them
before Saul: and he sent for him.

And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy
servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this
Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man
of war from his youth.

And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and
there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:

And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his
mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and
smote him, and slew him.

Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised
Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies
of the living God.

David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of
the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of
the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the
Lord be with thee.

And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass
upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.

And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he essayed to go;
for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with
these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones
out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had,
even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to
the Philistine.

And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man
that bore the shield went before him.

And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained
him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to
me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy
flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword,
and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name
of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou
hast defied.

This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite
thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses
of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air,
and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know
that there is a God in Israel.

And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword
and spear: for the battle is the Lord's and He will give you into
our hands.

And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew
nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to
meet the Philistine.

And David put his hand to his bag, and took thence a stone, and
slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone
sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a
stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no
sword in the hand of David.

Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his
sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut
off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion
was dead, they fled.

And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued
the Philistines, until thou comest to the valley, and to the gates
of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to
Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.

And the children of Irsael returned from chasing after the
Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.

And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to
Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.

And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said
unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth?
And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O King, I cannot tell.

And the King said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.

And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner
took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the
Philistine in his hand.

And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David
answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.

CHAPTER V

ST. GEORGE

In the year 280, in a town in Cappadocia, was born that great
soldier and champion of the oppressed whom we call St. George. His
parents were Christians, and by them, and especially by his mother,
he was most carefully instructed and trained.

When the youth came to the age of seventeen years he took up the
profession of arms, and since he was gifted with beauty of person,
intelligence, and an exquisite courtesy, he rose rapidly to a
considerable military rank. Especially he pleased his imperial
master, Diocletian.

One day while the Emperor, who was devoted to the worship of Apollo,
was consulting at a shrine of that god upon an affair of much
importance, from the dark depths of the cavern came forth a voice
saying, "The just who are on the earth keep me from telling the
truth. By them the inspiration of the Sacred Tripod is made a lie."
At once the Emperor was stricken with consternation and asked who
these just people were. "Master," answered one of the priests of
Apollo, "they are the Christians." This answer so enraged Diocletian
that he rekindled his persecutions.

Now from the first the young soldier George had burned with
indignation because of the unspeakable cruelties put upon
Christians, and he had spoken out boldly in defence of his brethren.
His friends had counselled silence and prudence. But George would
have none. He knew, however, that he might be called upon to suffer
at any time, and he hoped to do better work for the world and to die
after braver effort. He therefore distributed his money and his fine
apparel among the poor and needy, set free all the slaves he
possessed, and went forth upon knightly travel.

While pricking one day through the plains of Libya he came to a
certain city called Silene, the people of which were bewailing a
dire misfortune that had come upon them. An enormous dragon had
issued from a marsh neighbouring the town and had devoured all their
flocks and herds. Already the monster had taken dwelling near the
city walls, and at such distance the people had been able to keep
him only by granting him two sheep every day for his food and drink.
If they had failed in this he would have come within their walls and
poisoned every man, woman, and child with his plague-like breath.

But now already all the flocks and herds had been eaten. Nothing
remained to fill the insatiable maw of the dragon but the little
people of the homes and hearths of all the town. Every day two
children were now given him. Each child taken was under the age of
fifteen, and was chosen by lot. Thus it happened that every house
and every street and all the public squares echoed with the wailing
of unhappy parents and the cries of the innocents who were soon to
be offered.

Now it chanced that the King of the city had one daughter, an
exceeding fair girl both in mind and body, and after many days of
the choosing of lots for the sacrifice, and after many a blooming
girl and boy had met an unhappy death, the lot fell to this maiden,
Cleodolinda. When her father, the King, heard his misfortune, in his
despair he offered all the gold in the state treasury and even half
his kingdom, to redeem the maiden. But at this many fathers and
mothers who had lost their children murmured greatly and said, "O
King, art thou just? By thy edict thou hast made us desolate. And
now behold thou wouldst withhold thine own child!"

Thus the people spake, and speaking they waxed wroth greatly, and so
joining together they marched threatening to burn the King in his
palace unless he delivered the maiden to fulfil her lot. To such
demands the King perforce submitted, and at last he asked only a
delay of eight days which he might spend with the lovely girl and
bewail her fate. This the people granted.

At the end of the time agreed to the fair victim was led forth. She
fell at her father's feet asking his blessing and protesting she was
ready to die for her people. Then amid tears and lamentations she
was led to the walls and put without. The gates were shut and barred
against her.

She walked towards the dwelling of the dragon, slowly and painfully,
for the road was strewn with the bones of her playmates, and she
wept as she went on her way.

It was this very morning that George, courageously seeking to help
the weak, and strong to serve the truth, was passing by in his
knightly journeying. He saw stretched before him the noisome path,
and, moved to see so beautiful a maiden in tears, he checked his
charger and asked her why she wept. The whole pitiful story she
recounted, to which the valiant one answered, "Fear not; I will
deliver you."

"Oh noble youth," cried the fair victim, "tarry not here lest you
perish with me. Fly, I beseech you."

"God forbid that I should fly," said George in answer; "I will lift
my hand against this loathly thing, and I will deliver you through
the power that lives in all true followers of Christ."

At that moment the dragon was seen coming forth from his lair half
flying and half crawling towards them. "Fly, I beseech you, brave
knight," cried the fair girl trembling, "Leave me here to die."

But George answered not. Rather he put spurs to his horse and,
calling upon his Lord, rushed towards the monster, and, after a
terrible and prolonged combat, pinned the mighty hulk to the earth
with his lance. Then he called to the maiden to bring him her
girdle. With this he bound the dragon fast, and gave the end of the
girdle into her hand, and the subdued monster crawled after them
like a dog.

Walking in this way they approached the city. All the onlooking
people were stricken with terror, but George called out to them
saying, "Fear nothing. Only believe in Christ, through whose help I
have conquered this adversary, and live in accord with His
teachings, and I will destroy him before your eyes."

So the King and the people believed and such a life they endeavoured
to live.

Then St. George slew the dragon and cut off his head, and the King
gave great treasure to the knight. But all the rewards George
distributed among the sick and necessitous and kept nothing for
himself, and then he went further on his way of helpfulness.

About this time the Emperor Diocletian issued an edict which was
published the length and breadth of his empire. This edict was
nailed to the doors of temples, upon the walls of public markets, in
all places people frequented, and those who read it read it with
terror and hid their faces in despair. For it condemned all
Christians. But St. George when he saw the writing was filled with
indignation. That spirit and courage which comes to all of us from
communion with the eternal powers heartened and strengthened him,
and he tore down the unhappy utterance and trampled it under foot.

Thus prepared for death George approached the Emperor. "What wouldst
thou?" cried Diocletian angrily, having heard from his proconsul
Dacian that this young man deserved torture. "Liberty, sir, for the
innocent Christians," answered the martyr. "At the least liberty,
since their liberty can hurt no one."

"Young man," returned Diocletian with threatening looks, "think of
thine own liberty and thy future."

Before George could make answer the ill-will of the tyrant waxed to
ardent hatred and he summoned guards to take the martyr to prison.
Once within the dungeon the keepers threw him to the ground, put his
feet in stocks and placed a stone of great weight upon his chest.
But even so, in the midst of torture, the blessed one ceased not to
give thanks to God for this opportunity to bear witness to Christ's
teachings.

The next day they stretched the martyr on a wheel full of sharp
spokes. But a voice from heaven came to comfort him and said,
"George, fear not; so it is with those who witness to the truth."
And there appeared to him an angel brighter than the sun, clothed in
a white robe, who stretched out a hand to embrace and encourage him
in his pain. Two of the officers of the prison who saw this
beautiful vision became Christians and from that day endeavoured to
live after the teachings of Christ.

There is still another tale that after George had been comforted by
the angel who descended from heaven, his tormentors flung him into a
cauldron of boiling lead, and when they believed they had subdued
him by the force of his agonies, they brought him to a temple to
assist in their worship, and the people ran in crowds to behold his
humiliation, and the priests mocked him.

The Emperor, seeing the constancy of George, once more sought to
move him by entreaties. But the great soldier refused to be judged
by words, only by deeds. He even demanded to go to see the gods
Diocletian himself worshipped.

The Emperor, believing that at length George was coming to his right
mind, and was about to yield, ordered the Roman Senate and people to
assemble in order that all might be witnesses of George's
acknowledgement of his own, Diocletian's, gods.

When they were thus gathered together in the Emperor's temple, and
the eyes of all the people were fixed upon the weak and tortured
saint to see what he would do, he drew near a statue of the sun-god
Apollo, and stretching out his hand toward the image he said slowly,
"Wouldst thou that I should offer thee sacrifices as to a god?" The
demon who was in the statue made answer, "I am not God. There is but
one God and Christ is his greatest prophet." At that very hour were
heard horrible wailing sounds coming from the mouths of idols the
world over, and the statues of the old gods either all fell over or
crumbled to dust. One account says that St. George knelt down and
prayed, and thunder and lightning from heaven fell upon the idols
and destroyed them.

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