One should be careful not to fly too high.

A long time ago there lived a man named Daedalus who was such a genius that he could make anything. The king of the country became angry and jealous because Daedalus could do so many wonderful things, and so he shut him up in a tower and kept him prisoner on an island out in the ocean. He imprisoned the little son, Icarus, along with his father.

This was a foolish thing to do for it should be the part of all wise kings to encourage their subjects to invent things, and to use them for the good of the others. But this was a foolish king, and so he put the inventor in prison.

Daedalus easily escaped from the prison, but he did not know how he could escape from the island because the king allowed no ships to take on passengers there. Daedalus decided to fly away like the birds he saw skimming along the waters and then high up in the air.

He made a frame of wood and fastened feathers on it with wax. He then fitted it on his back and made it to work like birds’ wings. He made another small one for Icarus and fitted it on his back. They practiced flying on the island and would fly from one hill to another until they had learned how to manage their wings. They were then ready to fly away over the sea.

Daedalus and Icarus went to the top of a hill, and putting the wings on their shoulders they jumped off and began to fly. Daedalus called to Icarus to fly low and keep close, and away they went over the water and up into the air.

It was very wonderful to fly like the birds. The blue water underneath sparkled; the fishermen looked up astonished; rowers stopped their boats to see the strange sight. Soon they came to the land, but they kept on flying. Farmers stopped plowing, and cattle ran round in the field. Hunters shot arrows as Daedalus and Icarus flew along over their heads. Then they flew over a great lake.

Icarus forgot the directions of his father and flew higher and higher. “Do not fly so high, Icarus,” called out his father, “it is dangerous. You are too young to trust yourself to such high places.”

But Icarus called back, “I can take care of myself,” and flew on higher and higher. At last he came close to the sun, and all the wax melted off his feathers and they began to drop off. One by one they fell until only the frame was left. Then Icarus began to fall, and he fell and fell until he dropped down into the water—and that was the end of Icarus!

But Daedalus who had kept away from the sun flew on and landed in his own country.