irst descendant of Perseus should be the ruler of all the
others of his race. This honor was intended for the son of Perseus and
Alcmene; but Juno was jealous and brought it about that Eurystheus, who
was also a descendant of Perseus, should be born before Theseus. So
Eurystheus became king in Mycene, and the later-born Hercules remained
inferior to him.

Now Eurystheus watched with anxiety the rising fame of his young
relative, and called his subject to him, demanding that he carry through
certain great tasks or labors. When Hercules did not immediately obey,
Jupiter himself sent word to him that he should fulfill his service to
the King of Greece.

Nevertheless the hero son of a god could not make up his mind easily to
render service to a mere mortal. So he traveled to Delhi and questioned
the oracle as to what he should do. This was the answer:

_The overlordship of Eurystheus will be qualified on condition that
Hercules perform ten labors that Eurystheus shall assign him. When this
is done, Hercules shall be numbered among the immortal gods._

Hereupon Hercules fell into deep trouble. To serve a man of less
importance than himself hurt his dignity and self-esteem; but Jupiter
would not listen to his complaints.

THE FIRST LABOR

The first labor that Eurystheus assigned to Hercules was to bring him
the skin of the Nemean lion. This monster dwelt on the mountain of
Peloponnesus, in the forest between Kleona and Nemea, and could be
wounded by no weapons made of man. Some said he was the son of the giant
Typhon and the snake Echidna; others that he had dropped down from the
moon to the earth.

Hercules set out on his journey and came to Kleona, where a poor
laborer, Molorchus, received him hospitably. He met the latter just as
he was about to offer a sacrifice to Jupiter.

"Good man," said Hercules, "let the animal live thirty days longer;
then, if I return, offer it to Jupiter, my deliverer, and if I do not
return, offer it as a funeral sacrifice to me, the hero who has attained
immortality."

So Hercules continued on his way, his quiver of arrows over his
shoulder, his bow in one hand, and in the other a club made from the
trunk of a wild olive tree which he had passed on Mount Helicon and
pulled up by the roots. When he at last entered the Nemean wood, he
looked carefully in every direction in order that he might catch sight
of the monster lion before the lion should see him. It was mid-day, and
nowhere