THE ADVENTURES OF THESEUS

Part Two

In which our hero proves himself a wrestler and a swordsman.

After Theseus had killed the giant robber, he traveled to another village where he thought he would rest awhile. He had hardly entered the place when a band of soldiers arrested him and said, “You are a prisoner.”

“What have I done to be treated this way?” asked Theseus. The soldiers told him that every stranger in the village had to wrestle with the king before he could leave it. If he threw the king he could go free, but if the king threw him he would be put to death. No one had as yet escaped with his life.

“Very well,” said Theseus, “lead me to the king’s garden where I may wrestle with him.” But when he saw the king he knew he had found a mighty antagonist. The king was of great height with broad shoulders and muscles that stood out like ropes around his body.

Then they began to wrestle. The king tried to crush Theseus with his great arms, but the young man slipped through every time, and was so agile that the king could not hold him at all. Finally the king made a great leap at his enemy, but Theseus jumped aside and threw the king with his foot. He fell so heavily that he lay with back broken. After that all passengers could go through that village in safety, for there was no king to stop them.

Theseus went on until he came to a wild country, and wandered through the woods until he reached a castle, and being very tired he asked the lord of the castle if he might have a bed for the night.

The lord was named Procrustes, and gladly invited Theseus in and took him to the guest room where there were already two other travelers waiting. “This is the guest bed,” said Procrustes. “I hope it will fit you, for it is law of the castle that guests must be made to fit the bed.”

Thereupon the lord made his servants seize one of the travelers and stretch him over the bed. But the traveler was too long for the bed, so they chopped off his feet to make him fit. Then they seized the other traveler and stretched him over the bed, but he was too short, so they brought ropes and pulleys and pulled him out until he was the right length.

“Now for you,” said Procrustes to Theseus. “You may fit exactly, but if not you must be made to fit. Come, get ready for bed.”

Theseus was in no humor for retiring at that moment, so he drew his sword, and made at the king. “I have a mind that you are a whole head too long for your own bed, so I am going to shorten you by that much,” said he, and before the king could escape he cut off his head and made the servants stretch him on the bed, and he fitted exactly.

But after that travelers to that castle slept peacefully whether they were long or short.