THE THREE GOLDEN APPLES: 145

ble. Cannot I earry the golden apples to the king, your
cousin, much quicker than you could? As his majesty
1s in such a hurry to get them, I promise you to take my
longest strides. And, besides, I have uo fancy for bur-
dening myself with the sky, just now.” |

Here Hercules grew impatient, and gave a great shrug
of his shoulders. It being now twilight, you might have
seen two or three stars tumble out of their places.
Everybody on earth looked upward in affright, thinking
that the sky might be going to fall next.

“Q, that will never do!” ericd Giant Atlas, with a
great roar of laughter. “IT have not Jet fall so many
stars within the last five centuries. By the time you
have stood there as long as I did, you will begin to learn
patience |”

“What!” shouted TLereules, very wrathfully, ‘do
you mtend to make ine bear this burden forever ? ”

“We will see about that, one of these days,’ answered
the giant. “At all events, you ought not to complain,
if you have to bear it the next hundred years, or perhaps
the next thousand. 1 bore it a good while longer, in
spite of the back-ache. Well, then, after a thousand
vears, if I happen to feel in the mood, we may possibly
shift about again. You are certainly a very strong man,
aud can never have a better opportunity to prove it.
Posterity will talk of you, I warrant it!” |

‘“Pish! a fig for its talk!’ eried Hercules, with another
hitch of his shoulders. “Just take the sky upon your
head one stant, will you? I want to make a cushion of
my hion’s skin, for the weight to rest upon. It really

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