Heracles came into that king's country. The smell
from the stables was felt for miles around. Countless herds of
cattle and goats had been in the stables for years, and because
of the uncleanness and the smell that came from it the crops were
withered all around. Heracles told the king that he would clean
the stables if he were given one tenth of the cattle and the
goats for a reward.
The king agreed to this reward. Then Heracles drove the cattle
and the goats out of the stables; he broke through the
foundations and he made channels for the two rivers Alpheus and
Peneius. The waters flowed through the stables, and in a day all
the uncleanness was washed away. Then Heracles turned the rivers
back into their own courses.
He was not given the reward he had bargained for, however.
He went back to Mycenae with the tale of how he had cleaned the
stables. "Ten labors remain for me to do now," he said.
"Eleven," said Eurystheus. "How can I allow the cleaning of King
Augeias's stables to you when you bargained for a reward for
doing it?"
Then while Heracles stood still, holding himself back from
striking him, Eurystheus ran away and hid himself in the jar.
Through his heralds he sent word to Heracles, telling him what
the other labors would be.
He was to clear the marshes of Stymphalus of the maneating birds
that gathered there; he was to capture and bring
to the king the golden-horned deer of Coryneia; he was also to
capture and bring alive to Mycenae the boar of Erymanthus.
Pages:
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229