My Hero, Hercules (Tales of Ancient Lands series)

"Hercules is cursed at his birth by Hera. Zeus's jealous wife resents the prediction that Zeus's half-mortal son would be a "king of kings" with remarkable strength. Jason, a ten-year-old motherless mortal, believes his life is cursed by his cowardly, weak father, Tellus. They live in a village where strength is valued over intellect. Although Jason greedily devours his father's stories of Hercules, he finds transcriber Tellus' passion for history and all other stories pathetic. Skinny like his father, Jason's greatest desire is to be like his hero, Hercules. When a fire ignites the house, a panicked Tellus chooses to protect his transcriber's hands rather than douse the blaze, and as a result, loses his life. Perhaps it is because Jason is the same age as Hercules' dead son, that the god in the heavens responds to Jason's mournful pleas and offerings. Hercules visits Jason and takes him on visual journeys through episodes of his past, filled with bravery, blood . and evidence of Hercules' unthinking, violent temper. After Hercules returns to the heavens, he sends Jason one last test, to determine whether Jason is worthy to travel with him. Jason searches for a token of Hercules' time on earth, with a clue from his Grandfather. He labors in a field for a year, growing in strength and stamina, before he uncovers one of Hercules' old battle arrows. As a reward, Hercules takes Jason with him on a death-defying adventure. Together, they face the many challenges posed by King Eurystheus: Hercules and Jason skin the Nemean lion, battle the many-headed water snake of Hydra, capture the elusive, beautiful white deer of Cerynia, and defy Herz's immortal trickery. Over time, Jason grows in bravery, as well as in compassion; he helps to save Hercules' life, and comes to see his father Tellus more justly."128p. stamp on title page cver, else as newP. P.