CHAPTEK V. 



THE FRESH-WATER HYDRA. 



How the Lasso of the Indian is used by the Inhabitants of the Ponds and 

 the Seas, and how the Boys and Girls may outdo Hercules. 



Have you ever heard of the twelve labors of Her- 

 cules ? You know Hercules was very strong, stronger 

 even than the big giant Jack killed. When he was 

 only eight years old, he squeezed to death two big 

 snakes that came to eat him up. This was fine fun for 

 Master Hercules, but his little brother aroused the 

 whole house with frightful screams. "When he became 

 a man everybody was afraid of him, and many were 

 jealous of him. One of his enemies thought to get 

 rid of him by making him do twelve very hard things, 

 such as killing wild beasts, monsters, and serpents. One 

 of the serpents was called a hydra ; it lived in Lake 

 Lerna, and had fifty heads ; as fast as these heads were 

 cut off and smashed up, each grew again into two new 



