500 Words about Hercules Iolaus writes an essay ... My Friend Hercules, by Iolaus of Thebes (Okay, Iolaus, think. What can you say about Hercules?) My friend Hercules is a good friend because he is loyal and true. Even when I got in trouble he stood by me. We were best friends even when we were kids. His dad had died when he was only little, and my dad was always away at the wars, and so we had a lot in common. (This is so boring. How can I ever get five hundred words out of this? Why does Feducious have to give us these stupid assignments, anyway?) Hercules is two years younger than me, but we started playing together even before we started school. We used to play Greeks and Trojans, and tried to build a fort once behind the barn at his house. He always spent a lot of time working on the farm for his mom, helping her out with jobs like digging the garden and building a stone wall. (I wonder if that wall will ever be finished, especially now that we're here at the Academy. When we go home for the summer, we should work on it some more. Maybe Alcmene will make some of her lemonade for us!) Hercules has always been very close to his mom, especially since his step-father Amphitrion died and he found out that his real father is Zeus, who kind of abandoned her. (Better not put that in. Kind of too personal. I think maybe I'm the only one who knows how he feels about his father, fathers.) Hercules is very strong because his biological father is Zeus. He tries to use his strength to help people. It's kind of hard for him because he doesn't want to show off, and will try to help people work out their own problems if he can. When his brother Hephaestus wanted to make this girl fall in love with him, Hercules tried to tell him that you can't make someone love you. (And he should know, since he hasn't been able to get Zeus to even talk to him.) Hercules has developed a study of Zeus. He tries to learn everything about him. He's the one who knew about the Golden Fleece that we found last year to try to save Jason's father and the Chronos Stone. He spends a lot of time reading and talking to people to find out more about Zeus. He wants to meet all his relatives on that side of his family if he can. (How many words do I have? What else is there to say? Is it time for lunch yet?) Hercules is very kind hearted, and would do anything to help a friend or even a stranger. When we went to Athens last fall to find a cook and met the Amazons ... (Amazons!) ...he tried to rescue me when he thought I was in danger ... (Ha!) ... and then helped save them from the slavers. When the King of Athens tried to kidnap them, he figured out how to save them by using the law. He even helped me save Ruff from the circus, even though it was against his principles to steal him. But we had to do it, so he helped. (469, 470, 471. Is that all? Close enough, Iolaus. Wrap it up. The lunch bell is going to ring any second!) Hercules has a great future ahead of him. He has the strength of Zeus and the care for people of Alcmene. These two qualities will make him a great hero some day. The End (505! Okay! That's all there is to say. I just want to be there with him, back-to-back against the bad guys. But he better not get in front of me in the lunch line...) This story is a response to the January 2003 Story Challenge to have one character describe another in 500 words. Feducius will post the grades by noon on Friday!
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