King Minos

On a sunny island called Crete, the blue sea sparkled all day long. A kind king named Minos lived there in a big, beautiful palace, but he had a big, big puzzle to solve. This is the story of the Labyrinth of Crete.

King Minos had a special creature called the Minotaur. The Minotaur was very big and very strong, with the head of a bull and the body of a boy. He needed a special house all for himself, a place where he could be safe and play. So the king asked his smartest friend, a builder named Daedalus, to help. Daedalus was very clever. He built a giant house with lots of walls. The walls went this way and that way. They twisted and turned. It was a twisty-turny house, like a giant maze. They called it the Labyrinth. They put the Minotaur in his very own room right in the middle, where he was safe and sound.

One day, a brave hero came to the island. His name was Theseus, and he wanted to solve the king's giant puzzle. He was very clever too. He took a long, long piece of string with him into the twisty-turny house. He unrolled the string as he walked and walked. After he found the middle, he followed his string all the way back out. He solved the puzzle. The story of the Labyrinth shows us that even the trickiest puzzles can be solved when we have a smart idea. Every time you draw a maze or solve a puzzle, you are being a hero just like Theseus.