THE THREE GOLDEN APPLES. 139

above their strength. What the sky was to the giant,
such are the cares of earth to those who let themselves
be weighed down by them. And whenever men under-
take what is beyond the just measure of their abilities,
they encounter precisely such a doom as had befallen
this poor giant.

Poor fellow! He had evidently stood there a long
while. An ancient forest had been growing and decay-
ing around his feet; and oak-trees, of six or seven
centuries old, had sprung from the acorn, and forced
themselves between his toes.

The giant now looked down from the far height of
his great eyes, and, perceiving Hercules, roared out, in
a voice that resembled thunder, proceeding out of the
cloud that had just flitted away from his face.

“Who are you, down at my feet there? And whence
do you come, in that little cup?”

“JT am Hercules!” thundered back the hero, in a
voice pretty nearly or quite as loud as the giant’s own.
“And I am seeking for the garden of the Hesper-
ides ! ”

“Ho! ho! ho!” roared the giant, in a fit of immense
laughter. “That is a wise adventure, truly!”

“And why not?” cried Hercules, getting a little
angry at the giant’s mirth. “Do you think I am afraid
of the dragon with a hundred heads!”

Just at this time, while they were talking together,
some black clouds gathered about the giant’s middle,
and burst into a tremendous storm of thunder and light-
ning, causing such a pother that Hercules found it im-