Artimis and the Cyclops
By Jadon Hale
One day, a very long time ago, Cyclops, a creature of extreme unawareness came to the land of humans and wandered into the gloomy forest. Now, since the Cyclops was a creature of unawareness, he did not see that he had made his abode right next to the villager’s village that lay in a dip between four hills. The Cyclops, unwittingly, built his abode on the other side of the fourth hill so he could not see the village. Many people don't know, but Cyclops are not very social creatures but, despite this, when he discovered the village the next day, he decided to go say hi in the hopes of getting some friends.
When the villagers spotted a looming shadow coming out of the dark trees and a loud crashing as Cyclopes made his way through the forest, they were very scared and got every defense they could muster to defend against the Cyclops.
With the villagers hooting, “Be gone you foul beast,” like demented parrots and shooting arrows at the Cyclops, he was indeed, very sad and went away back to his home.
The next day, despite their previous reaction, the Cyclops went back like a persistent beggar to try again with the village, but the villagers were ready for another visit and attacked him again shooting arrows that thudded into Cyclops’s skin and hissed like a thousand snakes through the air. The Cyclops, as the villagers did not understand, was just trying to make friends and when they attacked him again the next day, he got very irate, Cyclops was not one to be shot at! He muttered rude words about the villager to himself and said, “If they won't be friends, they will enemies.” So, the next day he set off to attack the village, but he had no idea of the events to follow…
Artemis, who was hunting in the woods the day after, was very surprised when out of the blue, a Cyclops, not very common on Earth, marched across the clearing she was stalking around.
Artemis decided to talk to the Cyclops to find out what it was doing, so she called out to the Cyclops.
“Hey,” she said, “What you are doing Cyclops?” Her eye widened, and she became very stiff realizing that she should not have said anything and thinking that he might attack her.
“I’m going to fight the village that lives half a mile away,” he replied as he started to walk away again.
“Why?” Artemis asked abruptly, relaxing a little at the thought that wasn't her that he was attacking.
“Because, they hurt me,” he said as he stopped walking, “and I’m going to hurt them back.”
It just so happened that Artemis knew that particular village, she thought maybe she could help the Cyclops and the villagers get along.
“Why,” she suggested, “don’t I go talk to them and ask what’s going on?”
“Well,” said Cyclops, “okay, I like that idea, my cave is just that way on the left,” he said as he waved his hand in a northern direction, “Once you have talked to them, come to my cave to tell me what happened.” So off he went, back to his cave to take a nap.
“Okay,” muttered Artemis to herself, and off she went to see what’s up.
Later that day, the Cyclops was walking around in his cave, worrying about the villagers attacking Artemis and hoping that she was okay. Just when Cyclops was about leave to go get Artemis, she returned and came into the cave.
“What happened?” asked Cyclops expecting the worst, “Did they say they would keep attacking me?”
“No actually,” replied Artemis with a smile, “they said they were sorry and invited you over to come have a feast with them.”
Cyclops smiled, he liked feasts, (mostly because it was hard to hunt if you’re two stories high,) and he especially liked friends.
Kinard Mythology Anthology Page 22
