CONTENTS PAGE PROMETHEUS THE FRIEND OF MAN 7 THE LABORS OF HERCULES 11 _From the German of Gustav Schwab._ DEUCALION AND PYRRHA 29 _From the German of Gustav Schwab._ THESEUS AND THE CENTAUR 33 _From the German of Gustav Schwab._ NIOBE 37 _From the German of Gustav Schwab._ THE GORGON'S HEAD 41 _From Hawthorne's "Wonder Book."_ THE GOLDEN FLEECE 67 _From Hawthorne's "Tanglewood Tales."_ THE CYCLOPS 106 _From Church's "Stories from Homer."_ OEDIPUS AND THE SPHINX 116 _Adapted from Church's "Stories from Greek Tragedians."_ ANTIGONE, A FAITHFUL DAUGHTER AND SISTER 118 _Adapted from Church's "Stories from Greek Tragedians."_ THE STORY OF IPHIGENIA 131 _From Church's "Stories from Greek Tragedians."_ THE SACK OF TROY 153 _From Church's "Stories from Virgil."_ BEOWULF AND GRENDEL 164 _From Joyce Pollard's "Stories from Old English Romance."_ THE GOOD KING ARTHUR 179 THE GREAT KNIGHT SIEGFRIED 214 LOHENGRIN AND ELSA THE BEAUTIFUL 221 _From the German of Robert Hertwig._ FRITHIOF THE BOLD 226 _From the German of Robert Hertwig._ WAYLAND THE SMITH 231 _From the German of Robert Hertwig._ TWARDOWSKI, THE POLISH FAUST 237 ILIA MUROMEC OF RUSSIA 243 KRALEWITZ MARKO OF SERVIA 245 THE DECISION OF LIBUSCHA 248 COUNT ROLAND OF FRANCE 250 _From Church's "Stories of Charlemagne and the Peers of France."_ THE CID 267 PROMETHEUS, THE FRIEND OF MAN Many, many centuries ago there lived two brothers, Prometheus or Forethought, and Epimetheus or Afterthought. They were the sons of those Titans who had fought against Jupiter and been sent in chains to the great prison-house of the lower world, but for some reason had escaped punishment.