Now, with
his hands he tore it off, and he placed this head under a great
stone so that it could not rise into life again. The Hydra's life
was now destroyed. Heracles dipped his arrows into the gall of
the monster, making his arrows deadly; no thing that was struck
by these arrows afterward could keep its life.
Again he came to Eurystheus's palace, and Eurystheus, seeing him,
ran again and hid himself in the jar. Heracles ordered the
servants to tell the king that he had returned and that the
second labor was accomplished.
Eurystheus, hearing from the servants that Heracles was mild in
his ways, came out of the jar. Insolently he spoke. "Twelve
labors you have to accomplish for me," said he to Heracles, "and
eleven yet remain to be accomplished."
"How?" said Heracles. "Have I not performed two of the labors?
Have I not slain the lion of Nemea and the great water snake of
Lerna?"
"In the killing of the water snake you were helped by Iolaus,"
said the king, snapping out his words and looking at Heracles
with shifting eyes. "That labor cannot be allowed you."
Heracles would have struck him to the ground. But then he
remembered that the crime that he had committed in his madness
would have to be expiated by labors performed at the order of
this man. He looked full upon Eurystheus and he said, "Tell me of
the other labors, and I will go forth from Mycenx and accomplish
them."
Then Eurystheus bade him go and make clean the stables of King
Augeias.
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