(原版)澳大利亞語文第四冊(cè) LESSON 20

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LESSON 20 THE GOLDEN APPLES OF THE HESPERIDES

THE GOLDEN APPLES OF THE HESPERIDES

THE Greek hero Hercules was doomed, during a period of twelve years, to carry out any tasks set him by his stepbrother Eurystheus. During that time Eurystheus set him twelve most difficult tasks, and the fulfilment of these is known as the Twelve Labours of Hercules.

One of the most difficult of these was to obtain three golden apples from a tree which had been given by Juno [1] as a wedding present to her husband Jupiter [2] , the chief of the gods.

Hercules had no idea where these wonderful apples were to be found, for, though they were much talked about, no one seemed to know where the tree grew which bore the golden fruit. At last, after many inquiries, Hercules was advised to seek counsel from the water-nymphs, who dwelt on the banks of the Eridanus [3] . The hero crossed the Adriatic Sea to the plain of the great river, where he found the water-nymphs. They told him that they themselves did not know where the apples grew, but that Nereus, the god of the sea, could tell him, although they did not think that he would. Hercules crossed to the islands where Nereus was to be found. The hero was fortunate enough to surprise the god asleep on a sand- bank, and at once seized him. Nereus looked like an old man, but his beard, instead of being white, was quite blue.

The god awoke with a start. He immediately changed into a fish and tried to slip through the hero’s fingers. When this failed he turned into a huge eagle and tried to fly away. But Hercules held him fast, and before he would release the god the hero forced him to tell where the golden apples were to be found.

Nereus told him to seek the garden of The Hesperides, daughters of the giant Atlas, for they guarded the precious tree. As the maidens were fond of pleasure, and given at times to slumber, the tree was further guarded by a dragon eighty feet long, who breathed forth fire to destroy any stranger that drew nigh.

The Hesperides had their garden on a lonely island far to the west of the Afric land in the midst of sunny seas.

Hercules at once set forth on this long journey, and had many wonderful adventures by the way. After wandering for many weary months he met the hero Prometheus, whom he had freed from a rock, to which the hero had been chained as a punishment for stealing fire from heaven to bring comfort to mortal men.

When Prometheus heard of the quest for the golden apples, he advised Hercules to seek out the giant Atlas, who alone could obtain them from his daughters’ garden, for the serpent coiled at the base of the tree was immortal.

Hercules sought out Atlas, and found him groaning under a punishment inflicted upon him by Zeus [4] , the father of the gods.

Atlas, who was a giant of immense strength, had tried to scale the heavens and take a place among the gods. His attempt failed, and for his impiety Zeus had sentenced him to bear the heavens upon his shoulders for all time.

“THE GARDEN OF THE HESPERIDES.”

When Hercules asked Atlas about the golden apples, the weary giant, glad of the chance to rid himself of his burden even for a short time, willingly promised to obtain them, if the hero would take his place and support the heavens while he was away.

Hercules undertook to perform the task, and climbed a high hill till he was on a level with the giant’s head. He then took the weight upon his shoulders.

Atlas set forth and presently returned, bearing with him three shining apples of purest gold. But Atlas was not at all willing to resume his heavy burden, and proposed that he himself should carry the apples to Eurystheus, and then return. Had he done so, Hercules would have failed in the task appointed him, and would have been forced to serve his step brother for more weary years.

The hero pretended to agree, but begged Atlas to bear the weight for a little, while he placed a pad under his neck, which was chafed and sore from the great weight.

The simple giant consented, but as soon as the hero felt the weight lifted he dropped to his knees and rolled down the hillside, leaving poor Atlas to hold up the heavens as best he could.

Hercules seized the apples, which Atlas had placed on the ground, and quickly made his way back to Argolis [5] .

After weary weeks of travel the hero reached home and handed the precious fruit to his stepbrother. Eurystheus placed the apples in the temple of the goddess Minerva [6] , who returned them to Juno. She sent them back to the garden of The Hesperides, with orders that they should be still more strictly guarded. There, it is said, they are still to be found by him who can discover the garden and overcome the dragon.

As for Atlas, he was groaning under the weight of the heavens and lamenting his hard fate, when Perseus [7] passed by, bearing the Gorgon’s head [8] . At the earnest request of the tired giant, Perseus unveiled the head, and Atlas at once stiffened into stone. Be that as it may, the Atlas Mount stands to this day on the Afric plain, a gigantic rock whose top is eternally shrouded [9] in cloud.

—A. EXLEY

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[1] Juno: Queen of heaven, wife of Jupiter, patroness of married women.

[2] Jupiter: Chief god of the Romans.

[3] Eridanus: The name given by the Greeks to the River Po in Italy.

[4] Zeus: Another name for Jupiter.

[5] Argolis: A province of Greece.

[6] Minerva: The goddess of wisdom, and daughter of Jupiter.

[7] Perseus: A hero, comrade of Hercules.

[8] Gorgon’s head: The head of a giantess with living snakes in place of hair; the appearance of this head was so dreadful that it froze into stone all those who gazed upon it.

[9] Shrouded: Covered. The Atlas Mountains intercept the breezes from the Atlantic and condense the moisture which they contain. They are generally cloud-capped. The position of the Atlas Mountains is one of the causes of the Sahara Desert.