A BOY & A BEAR

We had been told that there was a bear on the Sacred Island of Delos. Bears are sacred to the goddess Artemis and we were instructed to capture, but not harm it. My brother Apollo and I were sent to hunt it down.

Delos is a very small island, though thousands can pass through here every day, as both slaves and pilgrims. There are only a very few places where a bear could possibly hide. The bear had been reported to be swimming in the Sacred Lake; and had frightened the swans, but when we searched that area, it was nowhere to be found. I had a feeling that the whole episode must be some kind of a hoax. "Who is it who last saw this bear"? I asked my brother Apollo.

A young boy saw him, and his mother believes the child I am told. Did the mother also see him?

The family were newcomers to the island and there were very few children here, none were as young as this small boy.

We decided to talk to them befor we retraced our steps. If a bear were here, how, in the name of Zeus, did it get here?

We went to their home. "Can we talk to your boy"? They were colonists from Syracuse. The boy said the bear was quite large and of black and white coloring. "Please do not hurt him, he even let me pet him!" The small boy had tears in his eyes.

I hope this is not a large dog, I thought to myself. Dogs are forbidden here. "Are you sure this was not a dog?" The boy shook his head. "No dog, when I called to mother, he ran away. He was almost as big as you." So the mother had seen him too.

"Where did he go? Can you show us?" The boy pointed to Mount Kynthos the highest point on the island. We will have to search every home and every building on Delos Island. Everyone had been told to stay inside and to bar the doorway of their oikio.

Some honey cakes were on the table. "Can we take these? This bear might be very hungry?" The mother placed the honey cakes in a jar and gave it to us.

"Please bring him back alive. He is my friend"! The boy called to us as we headed up the mountain, which really was only a rocky hill.

Pilgrims were returning from the temples, and when we asked if they had seen a bear they looked at us like we were crazy and shook their heads no.

That little boy from Syracuse needs a play-mate. I grew up on this island and I am very glad that I have always had my brother here.

"What if it is a wild mountain cat"? We only have nets to capture the bear. Bears like honey, but I do not know about wild cats. The boy says it is black and white. I had never seen a black and white bear! We searched the temple of Zeus, and then the Temple of Athena.

There is a cave here. It is said to be the birth-place of the hero Hercules. The god Apollo lived here as a child. We prayed to Artemis protector of animals and children. Then slowly and with great caution we entered the cave.

There he was hidding and cowering in a corner. This was a very shy bear. I set the jar of honey cakes infront of him. He sniffed them. We captured him easily in the fishing nets. Now what can we do with him?

He will have to live here. My brother and I agree on this. Then the priest from the Temple of Zeus comes over. "Well I see you got him! What an excellant sacrifice he will make!"

"I do not think the goddess Artemis would approve of such a sacrifice to her father, Twenty oxen are being roasted right now to feed the crowds." This is the time of the Delia, we must ask the oracle of Apollo what to do?

"This is an enchanted animal sent to us for the Delia", she tells us. "We will care for it and honor it, and give it a new home".

The people of Delos were honored to have the enchanted animal as a guest of honor for the Delia ceremony. They made him a wreath of the wild poppies blooming all about.

He lived a happy life on the island for many years. When he became very old and feeble he was taken to another island not far where he was cared for till he passed and was laid to rest.

Over the years the young boy from Syracuse often visited him, and became his caretaker. The bear lived in the cave, but was often free to roam about as he pleased, for he never ever caused harm to anyone. Everyone fed him honey cakes and wondered at what a miracle this bear truely was!

For twenty years the bear lived on Delos and it was a golden time of peace and prosperity that was called 'The golden Age'.