draw lots to see which of the youths and
maidens of Athens shall go to be devoured by
the horrible Minotaur!"

"The Minotaur!" exclaimed Prince Theseus;
and like a brave young prince as he was, he
put his hand to the hilt of his sword. "What
kind of a monster may that be? Is it not
possible, at the risk of one's life, to slay him?"

But King Aegeus shook his venerable head,
and to convince Theseus that it was quite a
hopeless case, he gave him an explanation of
the whole affair. It seems that in the Island
of Crete there lived a certain dreadful monster,
called a Minotaur, which was shaped partly like
a man and partly like a bull, and was altogether
such a hideous sort of a creature that it is really
disagreeable to think of him. If he were suffered
to exist at all, it should have been on some
desert island, or in the duskiness of some deep
cavern, where nobody would ever be tormented
by his abominable aspect. But King Minos,
who reigned over Crete, laid out a vast deal
of money in building a habitation for the
Minotaur, and took great care of his health
and comfort, merely for mischief's sake,, 4

[[42]]

p041 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p042w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p043

v?