Monster on Crete

Author: Shen Lai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-11-01
Features: This series is divided into six levels based on readers' English proficiency, suitable for middle school students, high school students, college students, and adults. The series selects well-known world classics and is adapted by nine native English writers. The text includes vocabulary explanations and detailed translations of difficult sentences, allowing readers to enjoy a world classic without needing a dictionary. The series also features short questions and unit exercises to test comprehension, providing strong supplementary learning support. All books in the series are accompanied by audio cassettes, featuring readings by professional American actors, set to background music, sound effects, and beautiful songs summarizing the book's content. All these elements make listening to American pronunciation an enjoyable experience.
Mythology is the product of ancient people's imagination and fantasy regarding the origins of the universe, the birth of humanity, the deeds of gods or heroes, and the history of their nation. The Monster on Crete tells the story of the hero Theseus. Theseus means "buried treasure." From a young age, Theseus lived with his mother in a small mountain village. On his eighteenth birthday, Theseus learned that the King of Athens, Aegeus, was his biological father, so he traveled to Athens to find him. On his way to Athens, Theseus encountered the evil old man Procrustes, who often lured lone travelers to rest at his home. Once the guests fell asleep, he would tie their hands and feet. Compared to the bed, if the guest was too tall, Procrustes would cut off their legs; if they were too short, he would cruelly stretch them until they died. Today, the phrase "Procrustes' bed" is used to, subjective. Theseus cleverly killed Procrustes and arrived safely in Athens. There, Theseus learned that Athens had to send seven boys and seven girls as tribute each year to feed a monster called the Minotaur, which was kept in the labyrinth of Crete. Without hesitation, Theseus volunteered to go as one of the seven boys. The Minotaur was imprisoned in the labyrinth of Crete. The labyrinth was incredibly complex, and once someone entered it, they could never escape. However, the daughter of the King of Crete, Ariadne, fell in love with Theseus and secretly gave him a sword and a ball of thread. Theseus tied one end of the thread to the entrance of the labyrinth and successfully killed the Minotaur with his sword. Then, following the thread, he returned safely from the labyrinth. Theseus saved the Athenian boys and girls and set sail for home together. Unfortunately, Theseus forgot the agreement he made with his father and did not change the black sails to white sails. The King of Athens, Aegeus, mistakenly believed that his son had died and threw himself into the sea, which was later named the Aegean Sea. Later, Theseus became the King of Athens and was beloved by his people. Every country and nation has its own myths, and we hope that everyone can enjoy the artistic beauty of this beautiful and sorrowful Greek myth.