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Immortal Journey
The Tales of Heracles, Leo, Cancer,
Sagittarius, Centaurus, Draco, Sagitta and Cerberus
Chapter 8: The Cretan Bull
Heracles stepped out of the fishing boat
and onto the island of Crete. The fishermen had given him a ride
in exchange for tales of his adventures, for the fishermen liked
good stories and those of Heracles were the best they had ever heard.
"This time," Heracles said as they landed, "I must find the Cretan
Bull. Do you know where I may find it?"
They were happy to tell their guest not only where the Cretan Bull
could be found, but also how he could gain audience with King Minos.
"No one on the island is pleased with Minos' enmity with Poseidon,"
one of them said, "especially since many of the islanders must make
their living by the sea. They will all be pleased to get rid of
that bull so Poseidon will be rid of his constant reminder."
Heracles immediately went to King Minos to ask for his help, but
the old king couldn't be bothered. "Do your own fighting and capturing,"
he said offhandedly. "I have more important things to do." So Heracles
decided to do just that.
It was very easy to identify the right bull for not only was he
huge and magnificently muscled, but his hair was completely white.
His long ivory horns curled inward toward his forehead and he stamped
and pawed the ground, chasing away any creature, large or small,
that ventured into his territory.
Heracles noted this habit and devised his strategy. All day long
Heracles grabbed rabbits, gophers and squirrels and threw them into
the field where the bull lay, and the bull would immediately rise
up and chase the intruder until the small, quick animal escaped.
All day the bull chased one animal after another until sunset, when
the exhausted bull collapsed and fell asleep. Heracles quietly approached
him, wrapping his head in a cowhide, then shoving the bull until
the animal woke up and stood. Because he was unable to see, the
bull simply followed wherever Heracles led, and soon he was loaded
on a waiting fishing boat. The boat's owner was pleased to participate
in relieving the island of this troublesome animal for it allowed
him to be a hero too.
Heracles led the bull, still blindfolded, to Eurystheus' gate and
even the king came out of the palace to see it. "Has everyone seen
enough of this animal?" Heracles asked. When they all agreed they
had, he removed the hide from the animal's eyes. The bull, at first
blinded by the sun, shook his head and when his vision and bearing
returned, he ran wildly to freedom. For a long time to come, Eurystheus
heard stories about that bull. It wandered off to Sparta and then
to Arcadia before it crossed the isthmus where it became known as
the Bull of Marathon. There, for the rest of its days, it chased
the people of Attica who cursed King Eurystheus for setting it free.
Tales of
the Immortal Night ©2003, J.J. Kuhl
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