Essay --

Icarus and Daedalus Once there was a young boy named Icarus. He was very proud of his father Daedalus who was the most famous sculpture, builder, and inventor of his time. His statues were so beautifully carved they almost looked alive. The palaces and gardens he built were magnificent. Word of Daedalus’ skill and cleverness spread far and wide. Even to the island of Crete, where a King named Minos had a disastrous problem with a monster called the minotaur. â€Å"So you see my problem Daedalus?† Minos asked, pointing to the beast. â€Å"The Minotaur has the strength of a bull, but the cunning of a man,† replied Daedalus. â€Å"No ordinary prison will hold him, that’s why I sent for you.† â€Å"Don’t worry King Minos,† Icarus exclaimed, â€Å"my father can invent anything!† Icarus’ faith in his father was not misplaced and sure enough after several weeks, Daedalus had come up with a solution. â€Å"I call it the labyrinth. The passages are so tangled and twisted, the minotaur will never find its way out,† said Daedalus, showing Minos his invention. â€Å"I say, build it at once!† shouted King Minos.â€Å"You should be proud of your father, Icarus. He truly is the cleverest inventor of all, and deserves to be well rewarded,† Minos continued, handing Daedalus a bag of gold. â€Å"Thank you, King Minos.’ Daedalus said, â€Å"But now we must return to Greece. Is our boat ready to sail?† â€Å"It is, but you will not be on it. You are far too clever to let go,† Minos said, â€Å"Guards, take them away. I decided to keep you and your son in Crete where you can invent more wonderful devices for me. And this I shall return to my royal treasury.† he said, taking the money back, â€Å"Lock them in the tower!† â€Å"You treturous-!† Daedalus started. â€Å"You’ll never keep us prisoners. My father wil... ...And do not fly too high, the sun’s heat will melt the wax. Your wings will fall apart. Just stay close and-† â€Å"Yes, yes. Oh father, isn’t this wonderful? We are truely like gods up here.† â€Å"No, Icarus, come down! You’re getting too close to the sun.† â€Å"No father. To the heavens! No one ever gets to fly this close.† â€Å"No! Icarus come down. The sun, you are too close to the sun!† â€Å"Father. Father! Ahhh!!† Icarus screamed all the way down, falling into the crashing waves below. â€Å"No! Oh Icarus, why didn’t you listen? Why didn’t you listen?† Daedalus cried. Daedalus slowly flew homeward with a heavy burden and a heavy heart. When he reached Greece, he built a memorial for his son. And Daedalus never flew again. Poor Icarus, he knew the danger of flying too close to the sun. His father had told him but he ignored his father’s advice and paid a terrible price.