He
shouted out against the sun, and in his anger he wanted to strive
against the sun. Then he drew his bow and shot arrows upward.
Far, far out of sight the arrows of Heracles went. And the sun
god, Helios, was filled with admiration for Heracles, the man who
would attempt the impossible by shooting arrows at him; then did
Helios fling down to Heracles his great golden cup.
Down, and into the Stream of Ocean fell the great golden cup of
Helios. It floated there wide enough to hold all the men who
might be in a ship. Heracles put the bull of Minos into the cup
of Helios, and the cup bore them away, toward the west, and
across the Stream of Ocean.
Thus Heracles came to the Island of Erytheia. All over the island
straggled the red cattle of Geryoneus, grazing upon the rich
pastures. Heracles, leaving the bull of Minos in the cup, went
upon the island; he made a club for himself out of a tree and he
went toward the cattle.
The hound Orthus bayed and ran toward him; the two-headed hound
that was the brother of Cerberus sprang at Heracles with
poisonous foam upon his jaws. Heracles swung his club and
struck the two heads off the hound. And where the foam of the
hound's jaws dropped down a poisonous plant sprang up. Heracles
took up the body of the hound, and swung it around and flung it
far out into the Ocean.
Then the monster Geryoneus came upon him. Three bodies he had
instead of one; he attacked Heracles by hurling great stones at
him.
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