Icarus Flies

Part One · The Tower

King Minos kept Daedalus and his son in a tower. Soldiers watched the door. They looked out at the sea.

Daedalus was the best maker in Greece. He had built a great maze for the king. But now he wanted to go home.

"The king can stop every ship," said Icarus. Daedalus saw a gull. "But the sky is open," he said.

Daedalus picked up feathers from the beach. He lined them up from small to big. He tied the big ones with thread.

He stuck the small ones on with candle wax. Then he bent them into the shape of a wing.

Icarus helped. He ran after the feathers when the wind blew them. He pushed a finger into the soft wax.

Part Two · The Sky

"Listen well," said Daedalus. "Do not fly too low. The sea will wet your wings."

"Do not fly too high. The sun is hot, and wax is soft. Stay close to me."

They jumped from the window, and the wind caught them. Up they went over the island! A fisherman looked up and stared.

At first Icarus stayed close to his father. Then he began to spin and dive. It was the best feeling in the world.

Higher and higher he climbed. "Come back!" shouted Daedalus. The wind took his words away.

Part Three · The Sea

The sun grew hot, and the wax went soft. One feather fell off, and then more. They floated away on the wind.

Icarus tumbled toward the sea. Daedalus dived after him, calling his name. A fisherman saw them from his boat.

The fisherman helped them aboard. Icarus was wet and sorry, but he was not hurt. "I should have listened," he said.

Daedalus hugged him tight. They sailed to a new home. He hung the last feathers by his door.