In Athens lived the most brilliant inventor in Greece: Daedalus.

Daedalus could create Anything! His hands and mind worked like magic!

He invented:

- Tools no one had imagined.

- Statues so realistic they seemed alive.

- Complex machines.

- Incredible buildings.

"Daedalus is a genius!" everyone said!

He had a nephew named Talus who was also very intelligent.

But Daedalus became jealous! "What if Talus becomes better than me?"

In a terrible moment, Daedalus pushed Talus off a cliff.

Talus died! And Daedalus was tried for murder!

"You killed your own nephew out of jealousy!" said the judges! "You must be exiled!"

Daedalus fled Athens in shame.

He sailed to Crete - a large island ruled by the powerful King Minos.

"Great king," said Daedalus, "I am the best inventor in Greece! I can create wonders for you!"

Minos was interested! "Prove it!"

And Daedalus proved it! He created incredible inventions for Crete!

Minos was so impressed he gave Daedalus a house, riches, and respect.

Then Minos gave Daedalus his greatest commission:

"Daedalus, my wife Pasiphae gave birth to a monster - the Minotaur! Half man, half bull! I need a prison for him!"

"But it can't be an ordinary prison! It must be impossible to escape! And so complex that no one who enters can get out!"

Daedalus thought... and had a brilliant idea.

"I'll build a LABYRINTH!" he said! "So complex, with so many corridors, that it's impossible to find the way out!"

And so Daedalus built the famous Labyrinth of Crete.

The Labyrinth was a masterpiece.

Thousands of corridors! They all looked the same! Forks! Dead ends!

Once inside, it was Impossible to find the exit.

The Minotaur was placed in the center.

And Minos sent prisoners inside - who got lost and were devoured by the monster.

Daedalus became even more famous! "The greatest inventor of all time!"

But then... Theseus came to Crete.

(Remember Theseus? The hero who killed the Minotaur?)

Theseus entered the Labyrinth with Ariadne's thread.

He killed the Minotaur! And escaped!

King Minos was Furious.

"Someone helped Theseus! Someone revealed the Labyrinth's secret!"

Minos suspected Daedalus! "IT WAS YOU! You told Ariadne how to escape!"

Actually, Daedalus hadn't told directly! But Ariadne had used principles she learned by observing her father talk with Daedalus!

"You betrayed me!" roared Minos! "PRISON!"

Daedalus and Icarus were thrown into a tall tower.

Daedalus looked out the tower window.

It was too high! Impossible to climb down!

Guards watched every door! Minos controlled all the ships!

"Father," said Icarus, "how will we escape?"

Daedalus thought deeply.

"Minos controls the land and the sea," murmured Daedalus, "but he does NOT control the AIR!"

"The air?" asked Icarus!

"Yes! We'll fly!"

"But humans can't fly!"

Daedalus smiled! "Not yet!"

Daedalus began to collect feathers.

Birds flew near the tower! Daedalus caught feathers that fell!

Icarus helped! "More feathers, father!"

For weeks, they collected feathers.

Then Daedalus asked the guards for wax - saying it was for candles.

And he began to work.

He organized the feathers by size - small, medium, large.

He used melted wax and thread to bind the feathers together.

He created a wooden frame.

Slowly, the Wings took shape.

Icarus watched in amazement.

"Father! We're going to fly like birds!"

"Yes," said Daedalus! "But listen carefully!"

Daedalus held Icarus's shoulders.

"Son! These wings are delicate! The wax that holds the feathers can melt!"

"You must fly in the MIDDLE! Not too high! Not too low!"

"If you fly too LOW, the humidity from the sea will wet the feathers and you'll fall!"

"If you fly too HIGH, the heat from the SUN will melt the wax and the feathers will fall off!"

"Understand? MIDDLE PATH! Not too high! Not too low!"

Icarus nodded! "Yes, father! I understand!"

"Promise!" said Daedalus!

"I promise! I'll fly in the middle!"

Daedalus tied the wings to Icarus's arms with ropes.

Then he tied his own wings.

"Ready! Let's go!"

They climbed onto the tower window.

The wind was blowing.

"Follow me!" said Daedalus! "Stay close!"

And... they jumped.

For one terrifying moment, they fell.

But then... the wings caught the wind.

They Were Flying.

"IT WORKS!" shouted Icarus! "WE'RE FLYING!"

They flapped their arms like birds! The wings held them up!

They flew over the tower! Over Crete! Over the sea!

Fishermen looked up from below: "What's that? Giant birds? Gods?"

Daedalus flew carefully! Not too high! Not too low!

"Icarus! Follow me!" he shouted!

At first, Icarus obeyed.

He flew close to his father! At the right height!

But then... excitement took over.

"I'M FLYING!" shouted Icarus! "I'M LIKE A BIRD! I'M LIKE A GOD!"

Pride grew in his heart.

"I'm BETTER than birds! I can fly HIGHER!"

"Icarus! NO!" shouted Daedalus! "Remember the warning!"

But Icarus didn't listen.

He started climbing! Higher! Higher!

"ICARUS! COME BACK! THE SUN!"

Icarus climbed higher and higher.

"I'LL TOUCH THE SUN!" he shouted! "I'M AMAZING!"

The sun shone bright above.

The heat increased.

The WAX began to... soften.

Melt.

Drops of wax fell from the wings.

Feathers began to come loose.

"ICARUS! YOUR WINGS!" shouted Daedalus desperately!

Icarus finally realized.

He looked at his wings! Feathers falling! Wax melting!

"FATHER! FATHER! HELP!"

The wings fell apart.

Feathers flew in all directions.

And Icarus... fell.

"FAAATHER!" his last cry echoed!

"ICARUUUS!" Daedalus screamed in agony!

But he could do nothing.

Icarus fell... fell... fell...

And plunged into the sea.

Splash.

The waves engulfed him.

He disappeared beneath the water.

And didn't come back.

Daedalus circled, screaming: "ICARUS! ICARUS!"

He descended as low as he could.

He saw feathers floating on the water.

But no sign of Icarus.

His son had died.

"Why didn't you listen to me?" cried Daedalus! "Why did you fly so high?"

Daedalus found Icarus's body floating.

He carried it to the nearest island.

He buried him with tears.

The island was named Icaria - in memory of Icarus.

Daedalus continued flying.

But now without joy! Without pride! Only sadness!

He flew carefully - not too high, not too low.

Finally he arrived in Sicily.

King Cocalus received him.

"Stay!" said Cocalus! "You'll be my inventor!"

Daedalus stayed! But he was never happy again!

He created more wonderful inventions.

But every time he saw birds flying, he remembered Icarus.

"My son! If only you had listened to me!"

King Minos eventually discovered where Daedalus was.

He traveled to Sicily! "Return Daedalus! He's my prisoner!"

But Cocalus protected Daedalus.

(Some versions say Cocalus's daughters killed Minos in the bath!)

Daedalus lived many years.

He never flew again.

He never forgot Icarus.

His inventions became famous throughout Greece.

But he would have traded it all to have his son back.

"The greatest invention isn't worth a son's life," he would say!