Introduction
Heracles has now performed two labours for his cousin and rival Eurystheus, slaying the fearsome Lion of Nemea and the many-headed, venomous Hydra of Lerna. From the safety of his palace, however, Eurystheus is disputing the validity of the second.
EURYSTHEUS scolded Heracles for soliciting the help of Iolaus against the Hydra, and declared the Second Labour void.
He now realised, however, that Heracles could kill any monster, so this time he commanded him to bring back, alive, a delicate, fleet-footed hind from Cerynaea, for his own private collection. This hind had golden antlers and brass hooves, and was swifter than the wind. Heracles had to pursue her for a year all over the mountains of Arcadia before he nicked her with an arrow, and caught up with her.
What Eurystheus had not told his cousin, was that the hind was sacred to Artemis. With luck, Heracles would incur her wrath, have to give up his catch, and fail in his Labour. Artemis, however, quite understood Heracles’s predicament. Laying the blame firmly on Eurystheus, she let Heracles borrow her hind long enough to discomfit the king, who, not daring to keep her, could only watch as his prize bounded away back to Artemis.
Précis
For his third Labour, Heracles was told to fetch the Cerynaean hind from Arcadia, alive. Eurystheus hoped that in doing so, Heracles would both fail and make a mortal enemy of Artemis, to whom the hind was sacred. But Artemis took Heracles’s part, and Eurystheus’s cunning plans miscarried once again. (50 / 60 words)
For his third Labour, Heracles was told to fetch the Cerynaean hind from Arcadia, alive. Eurystheus hoped that in doing so, Heracles would both fail and make a mortal enemy of Artemis, to whom the hind was sacred. But Artemis took Heracles’s part, and Eurystheus’s cunning plans miscarried once again.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 45 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, because, if, must, ought, since, whereas, whether.
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Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Declare. Kill. Long.
2 Golden. His. Hydra.
3 All. Her. Keep.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
