But Hercules , the instant he set eyes on this strange figure , was convinced that it could be no other than the Old One , who was to direct him on his way . Yes ; it was the selfsame Old Man of the Sea , whom the hospitable maidens had talked to him about . Thanking his stars for the lucky accident of finding the old fellow asleep , Hercules stole on tiptoe towards him , and caught him by the arm and leg . `` Tell me , '' cried he , before the Old One was well awake , `` which is the way to the garden of the Hesperides ? '' As you may easily imagine , the Old Man of the Sea awoke in a fright . But his astonishment could hardly have been greater than was that of Hercules , the next moment . For , all of a sudden , the Old One seemed to disappear out of his grasp , and he found himself holding a stag by the fore and hind leg ! But still he kept fast hold . Then the stag disappeared , and in its stead there was a sea-bird , fluttering and screaming , while Hercules clutched it by the wing and claw ! But the bird could not get away . Immediately afterwards , there was an ugly three-headed dog , which growled and barked at Hercules , and snapped fiercely at the hands by which he held him ! But Hercules would not let him go . In another minute , instead of the three-headed dog , what should appear but Geryon , the six-legged man-monster , kicking at Hercules with five of his legs , in order to get the remaining one at liberty ! But Hercules held on . By and by , no Geryou was there , but a huge snake , like one of those which Hercules had strangled in his babyhood , only a hundred times as big , and it twisted and twined about the hero 's neck and body , and threw its tail high into the air , and opened its deadly jaws as if to devour him outright ; so that it was really a very terrible spectacle ! But Hercules was no whit disheartened , and squeezed the great snake so tightly that he soon began to hiss with pain . You must understand that the Old Man of the Sea , though he generally looked so much like the wave-beaten figure-head of a vessel , had the power of assuming any shape he pleased . When he found himself so roughly seized by Hercules , he had been in hopes of putting him into such surprise and terror , by these magical transformations , that the hero would be glad to let him go . If Hercules had relaxed his grasp , the Old One would certainly have plunged down to the very bottom of the sea , whence he would not soon have given himself the trouble of coming up , in order to answer any impertinent questions . Ninety-nine people out of a hundred , I suppose , would have been frightened out of their wits by the very first of his ugly shapes , and would have taken to their heels at once .
For , one of the hardest things XXXXX this world is , to see the difference between real dangers and imaginary ones .
By as at for in of on than that while