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Heracles' second task was to kill the Lernean Hydra. The Hydra was a nine-headed serpent-like monster that lived in the swamps of Lernea and only came out of them to eat people. It had poisonous venom, and when you cut off a head two others grew in its place. Also, one of the nine heads was indestructible. For this task Heracles asked his nephew, Iolaus, to help him. As they crept closer to the Hydra's cave, they heard a hissing. The Hydra crept up behind them and spat! They dodged and Heracles run to the creature and chopped a head off with his sword. It feel to the ground and with thud, but to his horror two new heads grew back! Heracles was desperate. Then he had an idea. He told Iolaus to set fire to his spear. Heracles chopped off each of the heads in turn and Iolas burt the necks so they could not grow again. Finally the monster was killed and they returned to Eurystheus, but before doing so he dipped the heads of his arrows into the poisonous blood of the Hydra, which helped him with his other tasks. |
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