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31
The Four Giants
Before Theseus had traveled a full day, he met the first giant. This giant was called Periphetes. Periphetes carried a giant club covered with sharp nails and waited in the middle of the road for travelers to pass. Theseus did not slow his walk as he approached the giant; he only reached down for his sword and pulled it from his belt. When he was only a few steps away, the giant raised his weapon and swung it down at Theseus. The young hero jumped quickly to the side and the giant missed. The weapon was so heavy that the giant fell down when he missed hitting Theseus, Theseus saw his opportunity, jumped on the giant's back, and pushed his sword through the back of his huge head. Periphetes never stood up again.
Theseus was proud to have killed his first great enemy and took Periphetes’s club with him to remember the After another day of travel Theseus met an old man who warned him of a dangerous giant on the road ahead.
“ Do not go any further! There is a giant ahead named Sinis who is very cruel and tricky. He will ask you to help him bend a great pine tree down to the ground. When you have pulled the tree down, he will ask you if you are grasping the tree strongly. When you say 'yes' , he will release his part of the tree and you will be thrown into the air and killed on the rocks below."
Theseus thanked the old man for his warning and continued on his journey- Soon he saw the giant trying to bend a great pine tree down to the ground. When he approached, the giant said, “ Young man, you look quite strong, would you help me pull this tree down to the ground?
Theseus agreed and the two men pulled the tree down to the ground easily. When the top of the tree was touching the earth the giant asked, “ Do you have a strong hold of the tree?”
"Not yet!” said Theseus, and released the tree before the giant could let go. The giant flew into the air and came down on a pile of sharp rocks; his head split open on the rocks and he died instandy.
The third giant Theseus met was named Scyron. Scyron lived near a high cliff over the sea and was famous for kicking men off the cliff and sending them to their deaths. However, Theseus had heard of this giant before. When a man passed by, Scyron would demand that they stop to wash his feet. When the man bent down in front of his feet, the giant would kick them back into the sea. The sea was full of large and hungry fish that devoured them. Theseus was sure he could find a way to defeat this giant
"You may not pass until you wash my feet," yelled the giant when Theseus approached.
"Oh, certainly, great giant!” said Theseus, and the giant sat on a rock by the cliff. Theseus stood in front of him and pretended to reach down to pick up a bucket of water, but, just then, pulled out his sword and cut off the giant's feet, Scyron yelled out in pain and fell to the ground.
“Listen to me now, you cruel giant!” yelled Theseus. "I will cut off your head as well if you do not wash my feet."
The giant was afraid of Theseus now and bent down to wash his feet. Just then Theseus kicked up his leg and the giant fell off the cliff into the sea. The hungry fish found the giant and ate him quickly. Then Theseus continued his journey toward Athens.
Now there was only one more giant to defeat, and his name was Procrusles. Procrustes was the most cruel of all the giants. He invited men into his house to rest, but when they went inside. they found that one of his beds was very short and the other was very long. If they lay down in the short bed, Procrustes would take an axe off the wall and cut off their legs so they would fit- If they choose the long bed, Procrustes would tie their arms and legs with rope and pull them until their bodies broke in half. But Theseus had discovered all of this before meeting the giant, and planned to kill him for his cruel ways.
When Theseus was only a few day's, travel away from Athens, he met Procrustes outside of the giant's house. "Please enter and rest, brave young man!" said the giant.
Theseus entered the giant's house and went into the room with the two beds. Before the giant knew what was happening. Theseus hit him in the head with his club and pushed him down onto the small bed. "It seems that this bed is too short for you," Theseus said while pulling the giants axe off the wall. He then lifted the axe above his head, brought it down, and cut off Procrustes’ legs.
As the giant screamed in pain, Theseus moved his injured body over to the long bed. " This bed is too long for you, giant! " he said. " I will just have to make you longer!" Theseus tied the ropes around Procrustes and pulled him into two pieces. Now all the giants were defeated- Theseus continued on his way to Athens.