Hero Tales Read online

  THE CHOICE OF HERCULES

  When Hercules was a fair-faced youth, and life was all before him, hewent out one morning to do an errand for his stepfather. But as hewalked his heart was full of bitter thoughts; and he murmured becauseothers no better than himself were living in ease and pleasure, whilefor him there was naught but a life of labor and pain.

  As he thought upon these things, he came to a place where two roadsmet; and he stopped, not certain which one to take.

  The road on his right was hilly and rough; there was no beauty in it orabout it: but he saw that it led straight toward the blue mountains inthe far distance.

  The road on his left was broad and smooth, with shade trees on eitherside, where sang an innumerable choir of birds; and it went windingamong green meadows, where bloomed countless flowers: but it ended infog and mist long before it reached the wonderful blue mountains in thedistance.

  While the lad stood in doubt as to these roads, he saw two fair womencoming toward him, each on a different road. The one who came by theflowery way reached him first, and Hercules saw that she was asbeautiful as a summer day.

  Her cheeks were red, her eyes sparkled; she, spoke warm, persuasivewords. "O noble youth," she said, "be no longer bowed down with laborand sore trials, but come and follow me, I will lead you into pleasantpaths, where there are no storms to disturb and no troubles to annoy.You shall live in ease, with one unending round of music and mirth; andyou shall not want for anything that makes life joyous--sparkling wine,or soft couches, or rich robes, or the loving eyes of beautifulmaidens. Come with me, and life shall be to you a day-dream ofgladness."

  By this time the other fair woman had drawn near, and she now spoke tothe lad. "I have nothing to promise you," said she, "save that whichyou shall win with your own strength. The road upon which I would leadyou is uneven and hard, and climbs many a hill, and descends into manya valley and quagmire. The views which you will sometimes get from thehilltops are grand and glorious, but the deep valleys are dark, and theascent from them is toilsome. Nevertheless, the road leads to the bluemountains of endless fame, which you see far away on the horizon. Theycannot be reached without labor; in fact, there is nothing worth havingthat must not be won by toil. If you would have fruits and flowers,you must plant them and care for them; if you would gain the love ofyour fellow men, you must love them and suffer for them; if you wouldenjoy the favor of Heaven, you must make yourself worthy of that favor;if you would have eternal fame, you must not scorn the hard road thatleads to it."

  Then Hercules saw that this lady, although she was as beautiful as theother, had a countenance pure and gentle, like the sky on a balmymorning in May.

  "What is your name?" he asked.

  "Some call me Labor," she answered, "but others know me as Virtue."

  Then he turned to the first lady. "And what is your name?" he asked.

  "Some call me Pleasure," she said, with a bewitching smile, "but Ichoose to be known as the Joyous and Happy One."

  "Virtue," said Hercules, "I will take thee as my guide! The road oflabor and honest effort shall be mine, and my heart shall no longercherish bitterness or discontent."

  And he put his hand into that of Virtue, and entered with her upon thestraight and forbidding road which leads to the fair blue mountains onthe pale and distant horizon.