Hercules the Mighty

GC1: The strongest man who ever lived was born in ancient Greece. 

GC2: His name was Hercules.

GC3: Even as a baby, Hercules was stronger than 10 men. 

GC1: This made his father, Zeus, very proud. Zeus was the king of the gods.

GC2: But Zeus’ wife, Hera, was jealous. 

GC3: Hercules was not her son. He was half god, half human.

GC1: And she would do anything to destroy him.

GC2: Zeus and Hera sit on their thrones on Mount Olympus.

GC3: Mount Olympus is where all the gods live. 

GC1: A servant runs in. 

Servant: Aaaahhhhh! Snakes!

Zeus: Where?

Servant: Slithering into baby Hercules’ crib! 

GC2: Hera has a sly smile on her face. 

GC3: They rush to the baby’s room. 

GC1: Hercules is smiling and holding a large dead snake in each hand.

Hercules: Goo-goo!

Servant: They were alive a moment ago!

Zeus: My powerful son must have squeezed them to death. He is destined for greatness.

Hera (to herself): I’ll have to get rid of that boy another way.

GC2: Hercules keeps growing and growing. 

GC3: At age 10, he is taller than Zeus.   

GC1: One day, a servant rushes into the throne room. He is very upset. 

Servant: Aaaahhhhh! Lion!

Zeus: Where? 

Servant: In the hall! Hercules is playing with it like it’s a kitten!

Zeus: How sweet. I’m sure my boy can handle it.

Servant: I’m not worried about the boy. The rest of us fear for our lives!

Hera: My dear Zeus, Hercules is putting everyone in great danger. 

Zeus: But— 

Hera: Remember when he was picking apples? The whole tree came crashing down.

Zeus: He just doesn’t know his own strength.  

Hera: A palace is no place for him.

Zeus (sadly): All right, I will send him to live in the mountains.

GC2: In the mountains, Hercules becomes known for his strength and bravery. 

GC3: He fights deadly wild animals and always wins. 

GC1: He returns to Mount Olympus. 

GC2: Zeus is happy to see him. Hera is not. 

Zeus: My son! I hear you defeat every beast you see.  

Hercules: People say I’m a hero. I want to be immortal like you.  

Zeus: Being a hero is about more than strength and fame. 

Hercules: What must I do? 

Hera: To be an immortal god, you must prove yourself.

Hercules: How? 

Hera: Go serve my cousin, King Eury, for 12 years.

GC3: Zeus doesn’t know it, but Hera has a nasty plan.

GC1: Hera rushes to King Eury’s palace. 

Hera: Eury, Hercules is coming! 

Eury: So? 

Hera: He has grown into a powerful young man. He could easily take over your kingdom.

Eury: Then we must destroy him. But how? 

Hera: He wants to be a hero. Tell him he must perform 12 labors—or  tasks—first. 

Eury: What labors?   

Hera: The most dangerous and deadly we can think of. 

Eury: Good idea! One of them is bound to kill him.

GC2: Hercules enters. He bows to the king. 

Hercules: King Eury, I have come to serve you. 

Eury: You must complete 12 labors. They will not be easy.  

Hercules: I am ready.

Eury: A lion is killing my people. Go destroy it. 

Hercules: That sounds easy. 

Eury: This lion is like no other. 

Hera: Its skin is so tough that no weapon can get through. 

Hercules: I will do it. 

GC3: Hercules leaves. 

Hera: Hercules is about to die! Let’s have a feast!

GC1: Days later, Hercules returns. He’s wearing the lion’s heavy skin on his back. 

Eury: But . . . you . . . how? 

Hercules: I choked it to death with my bare hands.  

Hera (quietly): Rats! Let’s try another. 

Eury: Now you must destroy the Hydra. 

Hera: It’s a monster with poison breath coming out of its nine heads. 

Eury: And if you cut off one head, two grow back!

GC2: Hercules dashes off. 

Hera: He’s doomed!

GC3: But Hercules succeeds again. 

Hera: Impossible!

Hercules: What’s next?

GC1: Again and again, Eury and Hera send Hercules off to meet his death. 

GC2: Again and again, he uses his strength and intelligence to survive.

GC3: Hercules becomes even more famous. 

GC1: Crowds welcome him back to Eury’s palace. 

Fans 1 and 2: Hercules! Hercules!

Fan 1: Is it true you defeated the monster with three bodies and one pair of legs? 

Hercules: I shot one arrow through all three of his heads. 

Fan 2: What about the wild pig with tusks as sharp as swords?

Hercules: I outsmarted it. I chased it until it was too tired to go on.

Fan 1: And what about the giant birds with jagged metal wings?

Hercules: I got rid of those too.

Fan 2: You have saved us from so many beasts!

Fan 1: How many labors do you have left? 

Hercules: Just one. 

GC2: Eury and Hera are watching from a window. 

Hera: This is our last chance, Eury. 

Eury: Let’s send him to kidnap Cerberus (SUR-bur-us), the dog that guards the Underworld. 

Hera: Ooooh, yes! That dog has three heads with razor-sharp teeth.  

Eury: And a deadly snake for a tail. 

Hera (smiling): Plus, no mortal has ever returned from the land of the dead.

GC3: Hercules travels to the Underworld through a long, dark cave. 

GC1: He arrives at the River Styx. 

Hercules: I need to cross the river. 

Ferryman: Only the dead can cross.  

GC2: Hercules picks up the ferryman with one hand. 

Hercules (calmly): I said I need to cross the river.

Ferryman (scared): OK! Fine! I’ll take you. 

GC3: Once across, Hercules finds Hades, the king of the Underworld. 

GC1: Next to him is Cerberus. The dog’s three heads are growling. 

Hercules: Hades, I need to borrow your dog. I will return him. 

Hades: If you can capture him without weapons, you can take him. 

GC2: Hercules takes a step toward the dog. 

GC3: The dog bares its teeth. 

Hades (grinning): Be careful. He has been known to bite. 

GC1: Hercules leaps and wraps his massive arms around all three of the dog’s necks. 

GC2: Cerberus howls as Hercules wrestles him to the ground.

GC3: Hercules enters Eury’s palace carrying Cerberus. 

Hercules: I’m back. 

Eury: Aaaahhhhh! Get that hellhound out of here!

GC1: Hercules sends the dog back to the Underworld. 

Eury: I hate to say it, but your 12 labors are complete.

GC2: There is a flash of light. 

GC3: Hercules floats up to Mount Olympus. 

GC1: He kneels before Zeus.

Zeus: My son, you are a true hero. You have a strong body, strong mind, and strong heart.  

GC2: Hercules smiles. 

Zeus: You are now a god for the ages. 

Hercules: Thank you, Father!

GC3: Hercules went on to perform many great deeds.

GC1: To this day, he is the most famous Greek hero. 

GC2: And when something is so hard it seems impossible—

GC3: —we call it a herculean task in his honor.