Jason Story Part 2: The Impossible Task

The King of Colchis hated strangers. He hated them so much that he killed any who came to his country. But when he heard that Jason and his band of Argonauts had landed on his shores in search of the precious golden fleece, he smiled nastily.         “I shall set this great hero an impossible task, and then I shall kill him and his followers,” he said to his witch-daughter Medea. So the king welcomed Jason and his friends, but when they told him what they had come for he prentended to be surprised.

“Don’t you know that anyone who wants the golden fleece must do something for me first? I have a field that needs ploughing up ad sowing- perhaps you could do that?’ Jason agreed, but he was very surprised when he saw the king’s plough animals, and even more surprised when he saw what he had to sow. The plough was harnessed to two fiery bulls, whose breath burned anyone who came near them, and the seeds in the packet were dragon’s teeth.

“You have till sunset tomorrow,” said the king. Now Hera knew that Jason could never plough and sow the field on his own, so she summoned Aphrodite. “Make the king’s daughter, Medea, fall in love with Jason,” she commanded. “She will know how to help him.” So Aphrodite sent her son Eros to shoot Medea with his little love darts, and soon afterwards Medea sneaked into Jason’s room.

“I love you,” she whispered, “and I can help you. Take this lotion and cover yourself with it. Then you will be able to bear the heat of the bulls’ breath and plough the field.” Jason did just as she said, and then he sowed the dragon’s teeth. Straightaway hundreds of stone soldiers sprang up in neat rows from the ground, but Jason threw a rock at them, and they all began to fight each other. By sunset they were all dead.

The grove was dark and gloomy, but the Golden Fleece shone out like a thousand suns. Quickly Medea began to chant a magic song, and the green scaly dragon which had been sent to guard the fleece closed its huge eyes with a sigh.The king was furious, and he ordered his soldiers to kill Jason and his Argonauts at dawn. But Medea overheard his plan and ran to Jason at once. “You must leave,” she said.  “I will lead you to the sacred grove, and sing the dragon to sleep with my magic while you steal the golden fleece. Then we can escape together.” Jason kissed her, and together they tiptoed out of the palace.

Jason stepped over its gigantic body and ripped the precious fleece from the branch where it hung. A hundred warning bells rang out as Jason and Medea ran for the Argo and they heard the thunder of many feet behind them as the king’s soldiers gave chase. They flung themselves onto the deck, and the Argonauts rowed and rowed until Colchis was left far behind. The golden fleece was rescued at last, and Jason could now go home and claim his throne from his wicked uncle Pelias.