Evening star., 1921-09-18
The Labyrinth.

"THE alleys are perfect iabs-
rinth": "a labyrinth of hall
ways" and ."the police are following
cluew These are phrases that are
met with often. Labyrinth" has such
a fine sound that some conversation
alists make the most Of it and some
Of them even go SO far as to say OF
a man whose speech or paper is in
volved or muddled that "his arsu-
ment is a labyrinth"
Labyrinth and clue are interesting
words. They are probably fuller of
meaning to the well schooled boy and
girl than to the average man and
woman, because children are closer
to the stories in which the labyrinth
Of classic lore most famously figures.
The word Labyrinth" brings back TO
the memory one of the heroic
achievements of Theseus. that great
and fearless son of Aithra, princess
of Troezene, who was the fair and
beautiful daughter, of course, Of
Pitthens. the king.
Theseus had established his fame
as a slayer Of monsters. defender of
the weak and the avenger of many
wrongs. His adventures had been
many and bloody and at last he had
come to Crete. and to Cnosus be
meath the peaks of Ida, and to the
palace of Minos. the great king. 10
whom Zoas himself taught laws
The business that brought Theseus
to Crete was to meet the dreaded and
hated Minotaur, to whom Minos. had
annually thrown twenty of the youths
murder done by Aegeus. king Of
Athens. This Minotaur had the body
of q man, but his head was the head
of q bull and his teeth were the teeth
Of a lion. and with them he tore his
prey" The Minotaur lived in the
labyrinth and in the words of Charles
Kingsley, who SO dearly loved the old
down into the doleful gulf, through
winding paths among the rocks, un-
der caverns and arches and galleries
and over heaps Of fallen stones. and
he turned on the left hand and on
the right hand and went up and down
till his head was dizzy"
Minos had daughter, Ariadne. She
was beautiful, as all kings dau2ht-
ers. millionaires' daughters and brides
must be. And Just like girls today
her heart was in the right place and
she could fall in love at sight. And
she loved Theseus.
She came at night. notwithstanding
it was an indiscretion. to the prison
in which Minos' guards had lock ed
young Theseus up. She had learned
that he was to be fed to the Minotaur
in the labyrinth. She pleaded with
the youth. saying, according to re-
port. Flee down to Your own shin
st once, for have nribed the guards
before the door. Flee. you and all
your friends and go back in peace
10 Greece, and take me with You, for
l dare not stay after You are gone
Ny father will kill me miserabIy If
he knows what have done"
But Theseas could not be dissuaded
from his desire to have q rua-in with
the Minotaur. He insisted on mixing
It up with the monster. So. pretty
Ariadane gave q sword to Tileseus
and little bundle OF thread which
was called a "clue Of thread" which
he was to unwind as he went into
and along the Labyrinth, and by fol-
lowing backward along this 'clue" he
could md his way out OF the terrible
place.
All the world knows that brave and
mighty Theseus made quick work in
dispatching the Minotaur, that by the
mid Of the "clue" he found his way
out Of the Labyrinth. and with his
loved and loving Ariadne as his wife.
he escaped. But other troubles came
upon Theseus in other lands ana al
last he fell because he came to be
too full Of pride.