The God of Olympus Read Free Page A

Amphitryon, clearly thinking it was all one big dream.
    “Yes,” said Hermes, smiling. “Oh, what a wonderful child!”
    “A child of the Gods?” said Alcmene. “But what is he doing here? He must not be here on our world.”
    “No, on your world he must remain,” replied Hermes. “I will not explain the details here for it would take me far too long and, as a messenger of the Gods, I have many great deeds to do. But I will tell you this—Hercules must remain here until the time comes that he may return home. And indeed, who knows when this time will be. I certainly don’t know. Heck, Zeus doesn’t even know. Only your Hercules can know when it will be time for him to return to his heavenly home.” Hermes looked over at Amphitryon and Alcmene, who both stood staring deep into the child’s eyes. “I have not been with you for long, but I can tell that you are a noble couple, a couple with whom true love is no stranger. I do not believe that it is against fate that young Hercules has been brought here.” Hermes suddenly pulled out a bright-white manuscript. “You only need to sign this and he will be yours, as least as long as he is on this mortal world.”
    Amphitryon and Alcmene both looked up with tears of joy in their eyes. “It would be our pleasure!” exclaimed Alcmene, as she grabbed a light feathery pen from Hermes and signed her name.
    “Indeed we have been praying for a child,” said Amphitryon as he also signed the paper. “But how are we to take care of a God?”
    Hermes rolled up the manuscript and put it beneath his clothes. He then chuckled loudly, grabbed a piece of fruit from off the table, and took a bite. “A part-God now.  And, well, pretty much how you take care of any other kid. Clean him up, change his clothes, give him food and water, you know, the basics.” Suddenly Hermes’ lighthearted tone seemed to get more serious. “But above all you must read him this.” Hermes suddenly pulled from behind his back a white book. “He is a unique child. He will have no kinsman on earth or in heaven. He must learn of the divine world while young, for he will grow more and more attached to it. But you must be wary and not reveal to Hercules what has transpired this evening, especially who his real parents are. I fear that if Hercules were to know the identity of his true parents while young bad things may ensue. He may develop terrible pride. He may seek to begin grand designs too early. Either way, do you promise to keep the identity of the boy’s true parents a secret?”
    Alcmene and Amphitryon both nodded.
    Hermes smiled.  “Excellent.  Well, time is moving fast and I have places I must be. So now I must leave you.”
    Then suddenly Hermes snapped his fingers and was gone, leaving Amphit ryon and Alcmene with Hercules.
    ******
    Time passed quickly and it would not be a lie to say that Hercules was an exceptional child, a child of love, hope, and soberness.
    Amphitryon and Alcmene raised Hercules with more love than any parents had ever before raised a child. He was their treasure, making the boy not only a treasure of his godly parents, who watched him grow up from above, but also his mortal parents.
    Every day seemed like a new surprise for Amphitryon and Alcmene, who poured all of their daily mortal strength in feeding and providing for young Hercules. It seemed that, although he technically was more mortal than God, his Godly attributes shined out all the clearer. He was a tame child, a child who would sit nicely at the table, a child who would obey his parents without hesitation. However, he was also a wild child in that his Godly powers continued to grow and grow within him, allowing him to run faster than any man, endure weather far more terrible than any man could endure, and carry much more than any man could carry.
    Amphitryon and Alcmene were overjoyed at the amazing powers their child possessed. And, as Hermes had instructed, every night they read to their young child