Among all those mortals who grew so wise that they learned the secrets of the gods, none was more cunning than Daedalus.
He once built, for King Minos of Crete, a wonderful Labyrinth of winding ways so cunningly tangled up and twisted around that, once inside, you could never find your way out again without a magic clue. But the King’s favor veered with the wind, and one day he had his master architect imprisoned in a tower. Daedalus managed to escape from his cell; but it seemed impossible to leave the island, since every ship that came or went was well guarded by order of the King.
At length, watching the sea gulls in the air the only creatures that were sure of liberty-he thought of a plan for himself and his young son Icarus, who was captive with him.
Little by little, he gathered a store of feathers great and small. He fastened these together with thread, molded them in with wax, and so fashioned two great wings like those of a bird. When they were done, Daedalus fitted them to his own shoulders, and after one or two efforts, he found that by waving his arms he could winnow the air and cleave it, as a swimmer does the sea. He held himself aloft, wavered this way and that with the wind, and at last, like a great fledgling, he learned to fly.
Without delay, he fell to work on a pair of wings for the boy Icarus and taught him carefully how to use them, bidding him beware of rash adventures among the stars. “Remember,” said the father, “never to fly very low or very high, for the fogs about the earth would weigh you down, but the blaze of the sun will surely melt your feathers apart if you go too near.”
For Icarus, these cautions went in at one ear and out by the other. Who could remember to be careful when he was to fly for the first time? Are birds careful? Not they! And not an idea remained in the boy’s head but the one joy of escape.
The day came, and the fair wind that was to set them free. The father-bird put on his wings, and, while the light urged them to be gone, he waited to see that all was well with Icarus, for the two could not fly hand in hand. Up they rose, the boy after his father. The hateful ground of Crete sank beneath them; and the country folk, who caught a glimpse of them when they were high above the treetops, took it for a vision of the gods-Apollo, perhaps, with Cupid after him.
At first there was a terror in the joy. The wide vacancy of the air dazed them-a glance downward made their brains reel. But when a great wind filled their wings, and Icarus felt himself sustained, like a halcyon bird in the hollow of a wave, like a child uplifted by his mother, he forgot everything in the world but joy. He forgot Crete and the other islands that he had passed over: he saw but vaguely that winged thing in the distance before him that was his father Daedalus. He longed for one draft of flight to quench the thirst of his captivity: he stretched out his arms to the sky and made toward the highest heavens.
Alas for him! Warmer and warmer grew the air. Those arms, that had seemed to uphold him, relaxed. His wings wavered, dropped. He fluttered his young hands vainly-he was falling-and in that terror he remembered. The heat of the sun had melted the wax from his wings; the feathers were falling, one by one, like snowflakes; and there was none to help.
He fell like a leaf tossed down by the wind, down, down, with one cry that overtook Daedalus far away. When he returned and sought high and low for the poor boy, he saw nothing but the birdlike feathers afloat on the water, and he knew that Icarus was drowned.
The nearest island he named Icaria, in memory of the child; but he, in heavy grief, went to the temple of Apollo in Sicily and there hung up his wings as an offering. Never again did he attempt to fly.
Whats the plot of this story?
We all dream to soar, often ignoring the warnings of those closest to us. Even in failure, we become legends.
Yeah, easy questin but hard to answer and your answer is correct just tah let yu knw…..
your not icarus
funny
No one will ever go beyond the warning of his coach. Obey your spiritual father or else God (the sun) will bring you low all the time. A servant need to obey the warning of a master.
What is the Myth In this story ??
What is the conflict in this story ??
Why did he name the island Icaria ??
First one to answer and gets all right gets a A+…..Number 1 & 2 i really need those answers please
This is an amazing story. It should teach us all a lesson.
I think the myth in this story is that you can’t really fly… especilly not will wax wings/ no one can reach the sun.
The guy being captures is the conflict.
He named the island Icaria after his dead son.
You do realize this is a myth right?
can someone tell me the moral of this?
The moral is to not be greedy, and to listen when people warn you, they most likely say it in your best interest. When Icarus could fly, he forgot all warnings his father gave him, and flew too close to the sun.
why is it so long
idk
hi
hi
how nice
how nice
how has this got to do with the sun moon and stars
If you dont mind, where do you host your blog? I am hunintg for a very good host and your web site appears to be fast and up just about all the time
Lol
nice
that is a nice story
Remember learning this in Junior High School. Boyfriend reminded me of this just now, and it was kinda nice to revisit this memory.
can someone make a short summery of the story
this a nice story
this is a nice story
i like this tory
hi dovy
answer me dovy lol
hi bitchy
hello
i think this can also be interpreted as the struggle to bear the responsibility of true and real freedom. As in with freedom comes the means to destroy yourself. I think this can definitely be interpreted with a deeeper meaning of its human nature to sabotage yourself or feel the desire to self destruct..
This is a beautiful way of putting the story! I’ve read quite a few renditions of it, but this is, by far, your store appealed to me the most. Thanks for sharing 🙂