“Was it the girdle of Venus,” inquired the prettiest of the damsels, “which makes women beautiful?”

“No,” answered the stranger.  “It had formerly been the sword belt of Mars; and it can only make the wearer valiant and courageous.”

“An old sword belt!” cried the damsel, tossing her head.  “Then I should not care about having it!”

“You are right,” said the stranger.

Going on with his wonderful narrative, he informed the maidens that as strange an adventure as ever happened was when he fought with Geryon, the six-legged man.  This was a very odd and frightful sort of figure, as you may well believe.  Any person, looking at his tracks in the sand or snow, would suppose that three sociable companions had been walking along together.  On hearing his footsteps at a little distance, it was no more than reasonable to judge that several people must be coming.  But it was only the strange man Geryon clattering onward, with his six legs!

Six legs, and one gigantic body!  Certainly, he must have been a very queer monster to look at; and, my stars, what a waste of shoe leather!

When the stranger had finished the story of his adventures, he looked around at the attentive faces of the maidens.

“Perhaps you may have heard of me before,” said he, modestly.  “My name is Hercules!”

“We had already guessed it,” replied the maidens; “for your wonderful deeds are known all over the world.  We do not think it strange, any longer, that you should set out in quest of the golden apples of the Hesperides.  Come, sisters, let us crown the hero with flowers!”

Then they flung beautiful wreaths over his stately head and mighty shoulders, so that the lion’s skin was almost entirely covered with roses.  They took possession of his ponderous club, and so entwined it about with the brightest, softest, and most fragrant blossoms that not a finger’s breadth of its oaken substance could be seen.  It looked all like a huge bunch of flowers.  Lastly, they joined hands, and danced around him, chanting words which became poetry of their own accord, and grew into a choral song, in honour of the illustrious Hercules.

And Hercules was rejoiced, as any other hero would have been, to know that these fair young girls had heard of the valiant deeds which it had cost him so much toil and danger to achieve.  But still he was not satisfied.  He could not think that what he had already done was worthy of so much honour, while there remained any bold or difficult adventure to be undertaken.

“Dear maidens,” said he, when they paused to take breath, “now that you know my name, will you not tell me how I am to reach the garden of the Hesperides?”

“Ah! must you go to soon?” they exclaimed.  “You—­that have performed so many wonders, and spent such a toilsome life—­cannot you content yourself to repose a little while on the margin of this peaceful river?”