Friday, January 23, 2009

The Hero of Crete, retold by Kevin

Once upon a time in a land far, far away in the Mediterranean Sea, where ferocious creatures of the unknown roamed sea and land, lay a little island named Crete. In the center of this tiny island was a massive labyrinth with stonewalls ten yards tall and twenty yards wide. It slowly wound down like a serpent until all light and connection to the outside world was lost forever. In the shadows lay the skeletons of valiant heroes, who had tried to kill the most dreaded thing in the heart of the maze: THE MINOTAUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was half man and half bull. Its skull was five feet thick, and it could smash through walls two feet deep. Its horns were as sharp as the sharpest sword in all the known world. Its hooves were six inches thick and could trample anything that got in its way. Every year seven maidens and seven youths from Athens were sacrificed to the Minotaur because evil King Minos forced Greece to pay tribute. This time one of those youths was Theseus, Prince of Athens.

Theseus was a strong, muscular, dashingly handsome young man. Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos, gave Theseus the sharpest sword on the island made of steel and iron because she had fallen in love with him. Its golden handle was wrapped with red velvet cloth, and on its bottom rested a blue topaz inlaid in gold. On either side of the golden hand-protector lay a ruby and a sapphire. She also gave him a ball of silken thread like no other in the world. Ariadne whispered to Theseus, “Tie this ball of string to the doorpost and hold on to the other end of it. When you have slain the Minotaur, follow the string back to the entrance.” Theseus, with sword and string in hand, led the prisoners down into the labyrinth. Soon they heard a loud bellowing roar and Theseus cried “Now for the sword fight!!!!!!!!!”

The Minotaur, which stamped the ground with its gigantic hoof, charged, shaking the earth as it came. Eyes burning and red with fury, he lowered his head and aimed his horns. While the Minotaur rushed towards Theseus, the prisoners watched in horror and yelled, “Run! Jump out of the way!!!” The Minotaur drew closer, 50 feet….40 feet…20 feet….10 feet…5 feet… Just as it passed, Theseus leaped out of the way, drew his sword, and cut off the Minotaur’s leg just above the knee. With a loud, howling cry, he tried to get up, but Theseus quickly plunged his sword deep into the beast’s heart. As the blood gushed out, the prisoners gave thanks to Theseus with joy. The Minotaur was DEAD!!!! They happily followed the thread outside where a crowd of onlookers hailed Theseus as a hero because no more people would have to die. With his beloved Ariadne, Theseus, Prince of Athens and Hero of Crete, sailed back to Greece.

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