And was punished eternally,
The sky god devised a plan,
Whereby he hid the fire once stole,
And placed it high upon a plinth,
Out of the reach of the mortals.
Legend said that he could not take it back,
But human memory flitters and fades,
And the sky god knew they would forget.
He kept the knowledge hidden,
And placed in front - one of his nephews,
Son of his brother the water god,
To guard for all time.
The guard was the perfect choice,
A cyclops,
With one large beaming eye,
Spying out and keeping watch,
Clutching a spear in his hand to defend.
And take the fire back for their own use,
He knew this and so allowed the chance,
Through solving a riddle,
That would place the cyclops to sleep.
Many mortals tried to beat the guard,
But ended their lives upon the tip of his spear.
That was until one such attempt,
Where a young woman,
Known as Galenia,
Approached the sentinel,
In a bid to obtain the blazing fire.
They cyclops held out his spear,
And spoke through an echo in her mind…
“Answer true and you will learn,
Of the power that does burn.”
Galenia awaited,
Anticipating.
“Five priestesses,
Gathered in a room,
Five apples in a basket,
Made all things loom,
Each lady took one,
But one still remains,
Lying in the basket,
How? Please explain…”
Galenia thought for quite some time,
And when she finally held the answer,
She spoke out loud.
“Each lady took an apple, but this is no spell,
The last priestess took an apple,
And the basket as well.”
With her answer,
The cyclops eye shut,
Closed,
And he did sleep.
She crept around him,
And reached to the plinth,
And the knowledge of the gods,
Did flow once more,
Into the mind of the mortal before it.