The Three Golden Apples

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The Three Golden Apples Did you ever hear of the
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golden apples that grew in the garden of the Hesperides?
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Those apples would fetch a fortune by the bushel if
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any could be found in orchards today. But I don't
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suppose there's a single graft of that wonderful fruit on
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any tree in the wide world. Not so much as
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a seed of it is left. Even in the old,
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old days, before the garden was overrun with weeds …
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Plenty of people doubted that any tree could really bear
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apples of solid gold. Everyone had heard of them, but
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nobody could remember seeing one. Children listened with their mouths
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hanging open to stories of the golden apple tree and
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promised themselves they'd find it when they were big enough.
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Adventurous young men set out in search of it, hoping
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to do something braver than anyone else. Many never came back,
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and none of them brought home any apples. No wonder!
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It is said that a dragon lay under the tree,
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a dragon with a hundred terrible heads. Fifty of them
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kept watch, while the other fifty slept. Young people who
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were tired of too much peace and quiet often went
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off to look for the Garden of the Hesperides. One day,
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a hero tried it who had known very little peace
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or quiet since the day he was born. He was
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wandering through the pleasant land of Italy with a mighty
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club in his hand and a bow and quiver slung
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across his shoulders. Over those shoulders, he wore the skin
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of the biggest, fiercest lion anyone had ever seen. He
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had defeated that lion himself, and though he was kind
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and generous and noble, there was a good bit of
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the lion's fierceness in his heart. All along the road,
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he asked whether he was headed the right way to
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the famous garden, but nobody knew anything about it. Many
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of the country people looked as if they'd have laughed
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at his question, if only he hadn't been carrying such
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a very big club. So he journeyed on and on,
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until at last he came to the bank of a
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river where some beautiful young women sat weaving wreaths of flowers.
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Can you tell me, pretty maidens? asked the stranger, whether
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this is the way to the Garden of the Hesperides?
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They dropped their flowers on the grass and stared at
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him in astonishment. The Garden of the Hesperides, cried one.
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We thought people had grown tired of looking for it
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after so many disappointments. And what, brave traveler, do you
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want there? A certain king, who happens to be my cousin,
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he replied, has ordered me to bring him three of
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the golden apples. Do you know, asked the first young woman,
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that a terrible dragon with a hundred heads guards the tree?
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I know it well, the stranger answered calmly. But since
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I was a baby, dealing with serpents and dragons has
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been my business and almost my pastime. The young women
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looked at his enormous club and the shaggy lion skin
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and at his powerful arms and legs. They whispered to
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each other that this was someone who might do things
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far beyond what other people could manage. Go home, they
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all cried. Your mother will weep for joy to see
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you safe and sound. And what more could she ask,
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however great your victory? Forget the golden apples. Forget your
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cruel cousin the king. We don't want the dragon with
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a hundred heads to eat you up. The stranger grew impatient.
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He lifted his club as if it were nothing and
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let it drop on a rock half buried in the
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ground nearby. That idle tap shattered the great rock to pieces.
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Do you think, he asked smiling, that a blow like
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that would crush one of the dragon's hundred heads? But
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you know, said one of the young women, The dragon
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has a hundred heads. Even so, replied the stranger. I'd
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rather fight two of those dragons than a single hydra.
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Then he told them how he'd once chased a very
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swift stag for a whole year without stopping to catch
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his breath until he finally caught it by the antlers
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and carried it home alive. Is that supposed to be wonderful?
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One young woman asked, laughing. Any farmhand could have done
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that much. Perhaps you've heard of me, he said modestly.
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My name is Hercules. We guessed as much, they said,
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because your deeds are known all over the world. It's
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no surprise that you're looking for the golden apples. Come, sisters,
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let's crown the hero with flowers. They flung wreaths over
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his head and his mighty shoulders until the lion's skin
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was nearly buried in roses. They took his heavy club
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and wound it round with so many soft, sweet-smelling blossoms
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that not a finger's width of oak showed through. Then
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they joined hands and danced around him, singing words that
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turned into poetry all by themselves, a song in honor
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of the great Hercules. Dear maidens, he said when they
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paused for breath, now that you know my name, will
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you tell me how to reach the garden? We'll give
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you the best directions we can, they replied. Go down
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to the seashore and find the old one and make
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him tell you where the golden apples grow. The old one,
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Hercules laughed. And who might the old one be? Why,
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the old man of the sea, of course, said one.
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He's a seafaring sort of person, and he knows all
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about the garden, because it's on an island he often visits.
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Hercules asked where he was most likely to find him,
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and the young women told him, and he thanked them
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for their kindness. But before he was out of earshot,
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one of them called after him. Keep a firm hold
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of the old one when you catch him. Don't be
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surprised at anything that happens. Just hold on tight and
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he'll tell you what you want to know. Hercules thanked
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her again and hurried on. We'll crown you with our
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loveliest garlands, they called, when you come back with the
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three golden apples and the dragon beaten. He traveled over
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hill and valley and through lonely woods, never stopping and
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never looking back. until he heard the sea roaring in
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the distance. He walked faster. Soon he came to a
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beach where great waves tumbled onto the hard sand in
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a long line of white foam. At one end was
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a pleasant spot where green shrubs climbed a cliff and
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softened its rocky face. A carpet of grass and sweet
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clover filled the narrow space between the cliff and the sea.
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And there, fast asleep, lay an old man. But was
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it really an old man? At first glance, yes. But
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looking closer, it seemed more like some creature of the sea.
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His arms and legs were covered in fish scales. His
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hands and feet were webbed like a duck's. His long,
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greenish beard looked more like a tuft of seaweed than
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a beard. Hercules knew at once that this must be
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the old one. Thanking his lucky stars for finding the
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old fellow asleep, Hercules crept up on tiptoe and seized
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him by the arm and the leg. Tell me, he
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cried before the old one was properly awake, which is
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the way to the garden of the Hesperides? The old
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man of the sea woke up in a fright, but
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he was no more astonished than Hercules was a moment later.
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All at once, the old one seemed to vanish out
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of his grasp, and Hercules found himself holding a stag
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by the front and back legs. But he held on.
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Then the stag disappeared. And in its place was a seabird,
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fluttering and screaming, while Hercules clutched it by wing and claw.
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The bird couldn't get away either. Next came an ugly
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three-headed dog, growling and barking and snapping at the hands
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that held it. Hercules didn't let go. In another moment,
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the dog turned into Geryons, the six-legged monster, kicking out
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with five legs to free the sixth. Hercules held on.
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Then there was no Geryons. Only a huge snake, like
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the ones Hercules had strangled in his cradle, but a
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hundred times bigger. Hercules wasn't discouraged for an instant. He
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squeezed the great snake so hard that it began to
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hiss with pain. You see, the old man of the
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sea could take any shape he liked. When Hercules grabbed
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him so roughly, he had hoped to scare the hero
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into letting go with these sudden changes. If Hercules had
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loosened his grip even a little, the old one would
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have dived down to the very bottom of the sea.
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But Hercules only squeezed tighter at every change. Finally, since
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it was hurting rather a lot, the old one decided
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to turn back into himself. What do you want with me?
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He gasped as soon as he could breathe. My name
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is Hercules, roared the mighty stranger. And you'll never get
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out of my grip until you tell me the nearest
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way to the Garden of the Hesperides. The old fellow
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had heard of Hercules, of course, and of his famous deeds,
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and of how he always finished whatever he started. So
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he stopped trying to escape and told the hero how
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to find the garden. Go on this way and that way,
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said the old man of the sea, until you come
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to a very tall giant who holds the sky on
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his shoulders. If he happens to be in the mood,
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he'll tell you exactly where the garden lies. Hercules thanked
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him and begged his pardon for squeezing him so hard
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and went on his way. He had a great many
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strange adventures, which would be well worth hearing if I
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had time to tell them properly. He was captured in
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Egypt and had to fight his way out. He crossed
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the deserts of Africa as fast as he could go
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until at last he reached the shore of the great ocean.
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Unless he could walk on top of the waves, it
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seemed his journey must end there. Nothing lay ahead but foaming, crashing,
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endless water. Then, suddenly, far off on the horizon, he
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saw something that hadn't been there a moment before. It
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gleamed as bright as the sun when it rises or
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sets over the edge of the world. It was coming closer,
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and the closer it came, the bigger and brighter it grew. Finally,
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Hercules saw that it was an enormous cup or bowl
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made of gold or polished brass. How it had come
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to be floating on the sea, I can't tell you.
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There it was, rolling on the waves, tossed up and down,
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with foamy water slapping its sides, but never a drop
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splashing over the rim. I've seen a lot of giants
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in my time, thought Hercules, but never one who'd need
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a cup like that for his wine. And what a
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cup it was! It was as big as, well, I'm
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afraid to say how big. Let's just say ten times
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larger than a great mill wheel. Yet, for all its metal,
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it floated over the waves more lightly than an acorn
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cup down a stream. The waves tumbled it toward shore
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until it bumped against the beach just a few steps
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from where Hercules stood. He knew at once what to do.
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It was clear as daylight that some unseen power had
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sent this marvelous cup to carry him across the sea
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to the Garden of the Hesperides. So he climbed over
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the rim and slid down inside. The waves rang pleasantly
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against the golden sides, and the cup rocked so gently
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that Hercules was soon rocked to sleep. He had probably
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slept a good while when the cup bumped against a
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rock and rang out like a hundred church bells. The
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noise woke Hercules. He jumped up and looked around, wondering
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where he was. The cup had carried him across a
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good part of the sea and was nearing the shore
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of an island. And what do you think he saw there? No,
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you'll never guess it. Not if you tried 50,000 times.
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It was the most amazing sight Hercules had ever seen
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in all his travels. It was a bigger marvel than
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the nine-headed hydra whose heads grew back twice as fast
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as they were cut off, or the six-legged monster, or
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anything anyone has ever seen before or since. It was
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a giant! And such a giant! He was as tall
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as a mountain. Clouds wrapped around his middle like a
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belt and hung from his chin like a gray beard
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and drifted in front of his huge eyes so that
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he could see neither Hercules nor the Golden Cup. Most
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amazing of all, the giant held up his enormous hands
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and seemed to be holding up the sky, which rested
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on his head. It's almost too much to believe. The
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bright cup floated on and finally touched the shore. Just then,
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a breeze blew the clouds away from the giant's face,
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and Hercules saw all his enormous features. Eyes as big
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as a lake, a nose a mile long, and a
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mouth just as wide. Poor fellow. He had obviously been
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standing there a very long time. A whole forest had
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grown up and died around his feet. Oak trees six
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or seven hundred years old had sprouted from acorns and
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squeezed in between his toes. He looked down from far above,
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saw Hercules, and roared. Who are you down there at
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my feet? And where did you come from in that
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little cup? I am Hercules! The hero thundered back. and
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I'm looking for the Garden of the Hesperides. Ho, ho, ho,
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the giant roared with laughter. That's a clever adventure, I'm sure.
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And why not, cried Hercules. Do you think I'm afraid
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of a dragon with a hundred heads? Just then, black
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clouds gathered around the giant's middle and burst into a
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tremendous thunderstorm. The racket was so loud that Hercules couldn't
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make out a word. he could see only the giant's
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enormous legs rising into the storm, and now and then
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a glimpse of his whole shape wrapped in mist. The
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giant seemed to be talking the whole time, but his deep,
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rough voice blended with the thunderclaps and rolled away over
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the hills. At last, the storm blew over as suddenly
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as it had come. There was the clear sky again,
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and the weary giant holding it up, and sunshine glowing
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on his great height against the dark clouds behind him.
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His head was so far above the shower that not
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one hair had even gotten wet. When the giant saw
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Hercules still standing on the shore, he roared again. I
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am Atlas, the mightiest giant in the world, and I
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hold the sky on my head. So I see, said Hercules.
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But can you show me the way to the Garden
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of the Hesperides? What do you want there? asked the giant.
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Three of the golden apples, Hercules shouted, for my cousin,
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the king. Nobody but me, said the giant, can go
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into the Garden of the Hesperides and pick the golden apples.
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If it weren't for this little business of holding up
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the sky, I'd take a few steps across the sea
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and fetch them for you. That's kind of you, said Hercules.
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But can't you rest the sky on a mountain? None
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of them is quite tall enough, said Atlas, shaking his head.
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But if you stood on the top of that nearest one,
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your head would be just about level with mine. You
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look strong. What if you took my load on your
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shoulders while I go on your errand? Is the sky
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very heavy? Hercules asked. Not especially, at first, said the giant, shrugging.
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But after a thousand years, it gets a little tiresome.
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And how long, asked the hero, would it take you
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to get the apples? Oh, only a few moments, cried Atlas.
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I'd take 10 or 15 miles at a stride. I'll
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be there and back before your shoulders even begin to ache.
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All right then, said Hercules. I'll climb the mountain behind
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you and take over. The truth is, Hercules had a
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kind heart. He thought he'd be doing the giant a
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favor by giving him a chance to stretch his legs.
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And decides... He thought it would be even more glorious
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to say he'd held up the sky than to do
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something as ordinary as beating a hundred-headed dragon. So the
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sky was shifted from the shoulders of Atlas to those
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of Hercules. The moment it was done, the giant stretched.
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Then he slowly lifted one foot out of the forest
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that had grown around it, and then the other. Then
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he began to leap and dance and caper for joy
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at being free. flinging himself heaven knows how high into
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the air and landing with a thump that shook the earth.
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He laughed. Ho, ho, ho, ho! A thunderous laugh that
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echoed from mountain to mountain. When his joy had settled
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a bit, he stepped into the sea. Ten miles at
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the first stride, which brought the water to the middle
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of his legs. Ten miles at the second, and the
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water was just above his knees. Ten more at the third,
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and he was in nearly to his waist. That was
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the deepest part of the sea. Hercules watched until the
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giant's shape faded completely from view. Then he began to worry.
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What if Atlas drowned? What if the dragon with a
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hundred heads stung him to death? How would he ever
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get rid of the sky? And, by the way, the
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weight was already starting to be a little annoying on
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his head and shoulders. I really feel sorry for the
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poor giant, he thought. If it tires me this much
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in ten minutes, How tired he must have been after
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a thousand years. I don't know how long it was before,
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to his enormous relief, he saw the giant's huge shape
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far off on the edge of the sea, like a cloud.
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As Atlas came nearer, he held up his hand, and
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in it, Hercules saw three magnificent golden apples as big
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as pumpkins, all hanging from one branch. I'm so glad
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to see you again, Hercules shouted when the giant was
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within earshot. So you've got the golden apples? Certainly, certainly,
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said Atlas. And very fine apples they are. I took
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the best ones on the tree, I promise you. It's
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a lovely place, that Garden of the Hesperides. And the
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dragon with a hundred heads is a sight worth seeing. Honestly,
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you should have gone for the apples yourself. Never mind,
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said Hercules. You've had a nice walk, and you've done
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the job as well as I could have. Thank you
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for your trouble. And now, since I have a long
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way to go and the king, my cousin, is waiting
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for these apples, would you kindly take the sky off
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my shoulders again? Well, as to that, said the giant,
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tossing the golden apples 20 miles into the air and
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catching them on the way down. I think you're being
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a little unreasonable. Couldn't I carry the apples to your cousin,
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the king, much faster than you could? If his majesty
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is in such a hurry... I'll promise to take my
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longest strides. And besides, I have no wish to take
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the sky back just now. Hercules lost his patience and
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gave a great shrug of his shoulders. It was twilight,
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and if you'd been looking up, you'd have seen two
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or three stars tumble out of place. Everyone on Earth
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looked up in alarm, afraid the sky might fall next. Oh,
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that won't do, cried Atlas with a great roar of laughter.
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I haven't dropped that many stars in the last five
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500 years. After you've stood there as long as I did,
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you'll learn some patience. What, shouted Hercules, furious. Do you
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mean to make me carry this forever? We'll see about
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that one of these days, said the giant. Either way,
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You shouldn't complain if you have to carry it a
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hundred years or maybe a thousand. I carried it much longer,
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backache and all. After a thousand years, if I'm in
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the mood, maybe we'll trade places again. People will talk
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about you for ages, I promise you that. Pish, a
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fig for their talk, cried Hercules, hitching up his shoulders.
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Just take the sky on your head for a moment,
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will you? I want to fold up my lion skin
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as a cushion. It's rubbing me raw. and it will
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be awfully uncomfortable over so many centuries. That's only fair,
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and I'll do it, said the giant. Five minutes, then.
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Only five minutes, remember. I have no wish to spend
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another thousand years like the last one. Variety is the
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spice of life, I always say. Ah, the thick-witted old
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rogue of a giant. He dropped the golden apples and
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took the sky back onto his own head and shoulders,
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where it belonged. And Hercules picked up the three golden apples,
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each as big as a pumpkin or bigger, and set
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off for home without paying the slightest attention to the
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thundering voice of the giant, who bellowed after him to
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come back. Another forest sprang up around the giant's feet
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and grew old there. And once again, you could see
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oak trees six or seven hundred years old, grown between
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his enormous toes. And there stands the giant to this day.
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At least, there stands a mountain as tall as he was,
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and it carries his name. When thunder rumbles around its peak,
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we can imagine it's the voice of giant Atlas bellowing
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after Hercules.