Chapter XV: Daedalus and Icarus

There was once a king of Crete called Minos, who had a great many ships and soldiers; and there was also a clever artist named Daedalus, who had built a wonderful house for Minos with such an immense number of rooms in it that no one who entered it could ever find his way out again. There lived a monster in the house, and every year prisoners were taken to it, who wandered about trying in vain to find their way out again, until at last the monster came and devoured them. This wonderful house was called the Labyrinth.[1] The king wanted Daedalus to spend his time and skill in inventing other wonderful things for him, and when he wished to leave the island he refused to let him go, and placed soldiers all along the shore to prevent him from getting to any ship. Then Daedalus said to himself, 'My art has hitherto served the king,--it shall now serve me.' So he went into his workshop, and made a pair of large wings for himself and a pair of small ones for his little son Icarus, and every night when it was dark they fastened their wings on to their shoulders with wax, and practised flying like the birds; and they soon became quite accustomed to using them. When they had {53} learnt to fly properly, they fastened on their wings early one morning and set off to fly to the island of Sicily, although that is a good hundred miles from the island of Crete. On the shore stood the soldiers whom the king had placed there to prevent them from leaving, but they could not catch them, and the two flew away together over the wide sea. At first Icarus was timid, but when a good stretch of the way lay behind them he became bolder, and began to think that flying was very pleasant work. At mid-day, however, the sun came out very hot, and Daedalus, who was flying on in front to show the way, called out to his child to tell him to beware of the sun and not go too near it. But Icarus thought, 'The sun looks so kind, I am sure he will do me no harm.' And he flew higher and higher, for Daedalus was on in front and did not see him, until the wax with which his wings were fastened began to melt. He felt the strokes becoming more feeble, and called to his father for help, but though Daedalus turned quickly round it was too late,--the boy could no longer support himself in the air, and he fell into the sea before his father's eyes. All the great skill of Daedalus was of no avail now, for Icarus was killed by the great fall, and he could do nothing to save him, but was obliged to fly on to the end of his journey all alone.

[1] For more about the Labyrinth, see p. 186.

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