Jason and the Golden Fleece

a Greek legend

adapted by Charlotte Sebag-Montefiore

But before we start, it is very exciting for me to have my new book coming out!  RIDDLES FROM THE AIR will be out on November 30^th! You can order it on Amazon below.

I do hope you enjoy it…  

Now, for Jason and the Golden Fleece…

I don’t know how old you are, but I expect you are old enough to know that people have always been attracted by gold!!! Perhaps this is why the ancient Greek story of the Golden Fleece has survived for over 2,500 years.  The story starts with Jason. He was a Prince, son of a King, whose Dad lost his kingdom to his brother, Pelias. Jason’s Dad was only able to give him a pair of beautiful embroidered sandals with gold laces. Jason loved his sandals, but they were too big, so he kept them till they were the right size. Jason was brought up by Chiron, who was half a man and half a horse and a wonderful teacher. All his pupils were very good riders, and Chiron also taught them the art of healing and how to play the harp.   

Anyway, when Jason was old enough, he left Chiron’s school and set off to win his kingdom back. He certainly attracted attention, with his beautiful sandals with gold laces, and a leopard skin robe which he had made from a leopard he had killed.  Soon he came to a raging river. Jason stared at it: would he be able to cross?  Just then he heard an old woman’s voice – “Help me across, young man. Please.”

“I don’t know if I can get across myself,” said Jason.

“Well, then,” said the old woman, “you don’t deserve to be a King, do you?”

Jason was ashamed and mumbled, “I’ll try.” He bent down and helped the old woman up and they set off across the river. The current was very strong, and the stones were slippery. Jason stumbled and one of his sandals came off. “Damn,” he said, “I’ve lost one of my sandals, and I’ll look such a fool.”

“Don’t worry, you’ve got my support,” said the old woman. “Look, we’re over now. I’d love to see the expression on your uncle’s face when you turn up in one sandal.” 

“I don’t look that bad, do I?” (Jason was a modest young man.) He turned to look at the woman: she was looking quite different now, standing straight, with grace and dignity. A peacock strutted behind her, with its gorgeous tail outspread. “You don’t know about the prophecy, do you?” The woman laughed and went off.

Jason walked along till he came to some houses. People waved. “It’s the Man with One Sandal,” they called, he’s come at last.” Jason walked on and soon he found himself in front of his Uncle Pelias by an altar. He was about to sacrifice a black bull and his knife was in the air. He saw Jason had only one sandal and stopped, remembering the prophecy. A one-sandalled man would take his throne! He was afraid.

“What would you do?” he said nastily, “if someone who would destroy you was in your power?”

Jason hesitated, but he was honest. “Oh,” he said, “I would send him in search of the Golden Fleece.”

“Then, off you go,” said King Pelias. “Go and fetch me the Golden Fleece, and when you come back, if you come back…

Jason finished the sentence, “I will take your throne,” and he left. Wondering what to do, Jason went to find a Talking Oak his Dad had told him about. He called to it in the forest, and the answer came: “Go to Argus and have him build you a ship with 50 oars!”  Jason went off and found a man called Argus near the port, and he agreed to build the boat. “You can pay me when you have the throne,” he said, “I know you won’t forget.” When the boat was built, Jason went back to thank the Talking Oak. “Take a branch from me,” said the Oak, “and carve it into a Figurehead for your boat, to guide you!” Jason followed this advice and then went back to the Oak. “Now what?” he asked. “Summon the heroes of Greece,” said the figurehead (which now had the shape of a woman). “Plenty will want to come!” This turned out to be correct, and soon there were 49 brave young men, all ready to join Jason and man the boat with 50 oars. These Argonauts – for that is what they were called – couldn’t wait to leave!  Orpheus – for he was one of them – played his harp and the huge boat slid into the sea. The Argonauts were on their way!

They talked about the Golden Fleece. It had belonged to a sheep which saved the life of a boy, and then died of exhaustion: its reward was for its fleece to be turned to gold – though how this helped the ram is not clear to me. Anyway, it was very beautiful and was hung on a tree in a sacred grove, where it was guarded by a dragon. All the neighbouring kings wanted to pinch it, but they could not, because of the dragon.  The Argonauts rowed and rowed, and had many adventures.

Their first adventure was scary! They met giants with six arms each – each could use a sword. The Argonauts had to fight them, but the giants were not very brave and ran away as best as they could.

Their second adventure was different but scary in its way! They met a King tormented by Harpies. These were like huge vultures with human faces of women and they used to fly off with the King’s dinner! Two of the Argonauts were sons of the North Wind, and they flew after the Harpies and frightened them off!

And in their third adventure, the Argonauts all felt they had a lucky escape. One day when they were resting on land, birds with feathers like metal arrows flew by overhead and shot their feathers down!  The Figurehead from the Talking Oak told Jason to get the Argonauts to bang on their shields – this frightened the birds away!

The Argonauts had good luck too (as well as the Talking Oak Figure-head.) They met some nice young princes who showed them the way to Colchis, where the Golden Fleece was, and took them to the local King to tell him that they wanted the Golden Fleece so Jason could get his kingdom back. The King told them that first they must tame two bulls which snorted fire from their nose and mouth. Then Jason must yoke the bulls to a plough and sow some of the dragon’s teeth which would grow into armed soldiers who would attack them. The King’s daughter, the beautiful Enchantress Princess Medea, listened to the King saying all this to Jason, and then introduced herself to him. She promised to show him how to deal with the bulls, and the soldiers from the dragon’s teeth. She gave Jason a golden box with ointment that would prevent him being burnt by the bulls, and told him to meet her at midnight.

Jason took care not to be late, and there was Medea waiting for him with a basket of dragon’s teeth! She took him to a field, and there were the bulls, lying down and chewing the cud as cows do. Jason put the magic ointment on, and walked over to the bulls, frightened by the fiery steam from their noses.  The bulls heard him coming, roared and the field was lit up by a flash of fire and flames, and rushed towards him. But thanks to the ointment, Jason was fine, though everything else began to burn. He grabbed the bulls by the horn – and broke the spell, for the bulls could do nothing if people were not afraid of them! Jason yoked them, ploughed the field and sowed the dragon’s teeth.

“Will we have to wait long?” he asked Medea. She laughed. “Wait and see,” she said. They waited, and soon helmets pushed through the earth, then the shoulders and hands, and after a couple of minutes, the soldiers had fully appeared and were waving their swords, looking for an enemy! They saw Jason and all rushed at him. “Quick,” cried Medea. “Throw a stone in the middle of them.” Jason did. Each warrior thought another one had hit him, and soon they were all fighting each other. In a few minutes, they were all dead but one who claimed “I won!” and died himself.  The whole thing took less than half an hour, but Jason could not help feeling sad at such a waste of life.

“Never mind,” said Medea, who was not bothered. “You’ll feel different in the morning.” The next day Medea took him back to the King. “I have done what you asked, Your Majesty,” said Jason, “and now I must go and deal with the dragon, so I can take the Golden Fleece home and claim my kingdom.” The King was getting worried.  “You wouldn’t have managed it without my daughter’s help,” he muttered. “You’ve cheated, so you’ve lost the right to try for the Golden Fleece. Now go.”

Jason felt depressed and walked away. “Well?” said Medea, who was waiting for him. Jason told her his father was very angry. “I’ve got something to tell you too,” said Medea. “Unless you sail before sunrise tomorrow, the King will kill you and your friends and burn your boat.  But I will help you. Meet me here an hour before midnight.”

When midnight came, Medea met Jason and showed him the path through the sacred grove to the Golden Fleece. “Look,” she said, “isn’t it beautiful?” It certainly was. It shone, glimmered and was very beautiful.  Jason took a step towards it. “Careful,” said Medea, “have you forgotten about the dragon?” The dragon seemed to sense them, for it raised its horrible head, hissed, and stretched out looking for them.  Medea flung some sleeping pills down its throat, and plop! the dragon plopped his head on the ground and went to sleep. “Now,” she said, “now’s your chance. Take it!” Jason didn’t wait, and grabbed the Fleece. “We must go,” said Medea, and they rushed off to join the Argonauts. The boat was ready, and before Medea’s father, the King, could do anything to stop it, Orpheus began to play his harp, and to the sound of lovely music, off they sailed with the Golden Fleece!

If you want to listen to the audio of this, you can hear it below: