The blazing sun beat down on the wings and softened the wax. He was bewitched by a sense of freedom and beat his wings frantically so that they would carry him higher and higher to heaven itself. Up and up Icarus soared, through the soft, moist clouds and out again toward the glorious sun. He tried to follow him, but he was heavier and his wings would not carry him. His father saw him and called out in alarm. He flew higher and higher up into the blue sky until he reached the clouds. Icarus, beating his wings in joy, felt the thrill of the cool wind on his face and the clear air above and below him. As they flew across the land to test their prowess before setting out across the dark wild sea, plowmen below stopped their work and shepherds gazed in wonder, thinking Daedalus and Icarus were gods.įather and son flew over Samos and Delos, which lay on their left, and Lebinthuys, which lay on their right. From time to time, he looked back to see that the boy was safe and to note how he managed his wings in his fight. Daedalus's eyes filled with tears, and turning away, he soared into the sky, calling to Icarus to follow. Icarus, standing in the bright sun, the shining wings dropping gracefully from his shoulders, his golden hair wet with spray, and his eyes bright and dark with excitement, looked like a lovely bird. He kissed Icarus and fastened the wings more securely to his son's shoulders. Keep at a moderate height, for if you fly too low, the fog and spray will clog your wings, and if you fly too high, the heat will melt the wax that holds them together. No human being has ever traveled through the air before, and I want you to listen carefully to my instructions. He called Icarus to his side and, putting his arm round the boy's shoulders, said, "Icarus, my son, we are about to make our flight. Daedalus watched him proudly but with misgivings. ![]() Soon Icarus was sure that he, too, could fly and, raising his arms up and down, skirts over the white sand and even out over the waves, letting his feet touch the snowy foam as the water thundered and broke over the sharp rocks. He pointed out the slow, graceful sweep of their wings as they beat the air steadily, without fluttering. He bade him watch the movements of the birds, how they soared and glided overhead. They were smaller than his own but strong and beautiful.įinally, one clear, wind-swept morning, the wings were finished, and Daedalus fastened them to Icarus's shoulders and taught him how to fly. Filled with excitement, he made another pair for his son. When they were finished, Daedalus fastened them to his shoulders and found himself lifted upwards, where he hung poised in the air. The sun shone on the bright feathers the breezes ruffled them. Icarus played about on the beach happily while his father worked, chasing the feathers that blew away in the strong wind that swept the island and sometimes taking bits of the wax and working it into strange shapes with his fingers. The smallest feathers he pressed into the soft wax and the large ones he tied on with thread. Daedalus then melted some wax and made a skeleton in the shape of a bird's wing. ![]() ![]() As thousands of fulls soared over the island, Icarus soon collected a huge pile of feathers. He called his son, Icarus, to him and told the boy to gather up all the feathers he could find on the rocky shore. ![]() "Minos may control the land and sea," he said,"but he does not control the air. Several times he tried by bribery to stow away on one of the vessels sailing from Crete, but King Minos kept strict watch over them, and no ships were allowed to sail without being carefully searched.ĭaedalus was an ingenious artist and was not discouraged by his failures. In time, with the help of his young son, Icarus, Daedalus managed to escape from the tower, only to find himself a prisoner on the island. When Theseus escaped from the labyrinth, King Minos flew into a rage with its builder, Daedalus, and ordered him shut up in a high tower that faced the lonely sea. "The Flight of Icarus" retold by Sally Benson
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