- What have you heard about Typhon and Echidna? - Eurystheus addressed to Hercules.
- Only not that- flashed through the mind of the hero.
- So, - gurgled the king with honey tone - you must find and destroy their generation- the so-called Lernaean hydra . Have you heard of it?
- No, haven’t, but if that’s my task...
- Yes, yes - the king chuckled, - kill the hydra, darling, yeah look, do not make a mistake. There are a lot of hydras, but we need the Lernaean hydra. And take care of the evidence. It won’t work if you come and solemnly declare that you killed the Hydra, and as a proof tell that everything had been seen through the fence by the neighbor shepherd. We will accept no photographs or graphics, videos or films. Only real artifacts. You are warned, Hercules. Go and fulfil the feat.
Of course, Hercules immediately went to the city library and wrote out a bunch of books and magazines, where he read that the creature is found in Lake Lerna (it would be strange if was found in Lake Titicaca, wouldn’t it?) That he has nine heads, including one immortal. Unnoticed by the librarian having stolen the road atlas of Greece, the hero sat sad in the dining room and ordered his favorite sausages.
- You are Hercules, aren’t you? – a young man approached him with a sword on his belt - and me, I’m Iolaus, if you remember .
Of course, Hercules remembered him. Only Iolaus passed all the three rounds of the final tournament in Thessaly and he lost just by points, while all the other boxers were knocked out in the first round.
- Do you have problems, man?
Hercules nodded sadly. He was choking and spoke about the boorish behavior of Eurystheus and damn Hydra.
- The bad thing is that instead of the severed heads immediately grow two new ones. Look, here in the magazine all is written.
Indeed, in the guide of fights with dragons there was told that no way was thought for the fight with their sprouting heads, however, the ancient Indian manuscripts mention un unknown hero who managed to cauterize the severed heads, so that new ones couldn't grow. But, unfortunately, while the hero was fumbling with torches the neighboring heads ate him.
- Hera - familiarly addressed to the hero Iolaus - let's go there together. You will to cut the heads, and I will cauterize them. And we will cut the immortal head and bury it in a hole with bleaching powder, okay?
The next morning, friends, being guided by the atlas marched to battle. On the third day they noticed a lake over which were stinking malodorous vapors.
- Be careful, Hercules.
- You, too, Iolaus. Light the torch and look at both.
Then the water boiled in the lake and crawled ashore disgusting, smelly creature of approximately seventy-five feet, lilac, with nine heads. In the middle rose a large head similar to the size of tyrannosaur’s head, and from left and right - symmetrically adorned by four smaller heads with allosaurus's head. Needless to say that the monster looked too frightening. On the very top their heads were snapping vigorously with teeth, andbesides each head was making its unique click.
There were no threatening assaults –the hydra immediately rushed to attack. Eight attacks - eight severed heads, which were skillfully cauterized by Iolaus. The creature apparently had some brains and realized that he could not succeed.
Snorting and spitting, the hydra turned back. There were only few feet to the water, when Hercules caught and cut her immortal head off and Iolaus cauterized the severed place. Friends soon dug a deep hole, poured there bleaching powder, buried and inundated with enormous boulder. After that, they pulled the teeth out of the severed heads, neatly laid them in plastic bags and set off on the way back.
-Well, tell me, hero, where have you been, what have you done?
Hercules as he could, told how he managed to overcome the hydra with the help of Iolaus and as a proof dumped on the floor a bag of trophy teeth.
Eurystheus laughed.
- What, Hercules, you did it. But according to the contract you have no right to act with somebody’s help. So, my friend, I will not count this feat. Go and complain to whom you want, even to Zeus, your father, even to your uncle Poseidon. The truth is on my side, and you have to continue the lesson- come on!
Hercules couldn’t tell even a single word. Having the passionate desire to strangle Eurystheus, Hercules silently withdrew.