The Labors of Hercules Beal

By mid-January, Achilles decides that the Nursery will sell firewood, so Hercules and Ty are tasked with splitting an endless supply, which causes not only exhaustion but also terrible blisters. At night, the Ugly Cat Pack finds the wood pile, peeing and pooping everywhere. Hercules begins watching the cats from his bedroom window. Without fail, they arrive every night and prey on small animals, whose shrieks are horrible. After they make their kill, the cats lick blood off their paws and trudge away. When Achilles asks about the screaming, Hercules shares his observations. That day, they find the bloody remains of something furry. Seeing this, Hercules knows that his eighth labor has arrived because it is eerily like when the mythical hero had to capture the people-eating horses of Diomedes.

Achilles and Hercules plot how to dispose of the ugly cats, but all options seem inhumane. The screaming continues until one night it is different: There is one horrid shriek, and in the morning, they discover cat footprints and blood everywhere. One night Hercules spies the ugly cats, and as they cautiously creep in single file, a shadowy something snatches and kills one while the rest scatter. Hercules knows this is nature but is shaken, nonetheless.

In the mornings, Achilles regularly accompanies Hercules to the Dune, while at night the screams continue. Mr. Moby tells Hercules that it is coyotes and that he has set traps to catch them. Hercules waits, hidden behind a stone wall, until he hears the cages close and panicked barking begin. Then, Mr. Moby comes down with a shotgun and instructs the boy to shoot, but Hercules cannot do it. In the morning, animal control agrees to set them free in Maine, where they will be happy.

Hercules reflects that it is harder to be compassionate toward something that shows you no love. However, remembering the coyotes’ being happier in Maine, Hercules ponders the joy of others. Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer tells Hercules that his parents would be proud of him. The boy earns an “A.”

One morning, Hercules stops by Mrs. Savage’s house as she ties ribbons around the statues. They talk about the hippo, Ira, which represents Mrs. Savage’s late husband of the same name. Hercules helps her tie ribbons around the remaining statues. However, a few days later, she reveals that she must sell her sculptures. In school, when Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer checks in, Hercules shares Mrs. Savage’s story. Even the Lieutenant Colonel knows about Ira the hippo. The man asks what Hercules is going to do.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Savage buys trees for her yard, and when Hercules helps plant them, he expresses regret about her sculptures. Mrs. Savage confesses that some things are inevitable, especially when money is tight. She invites the boy to attend the art auction with her. The night of the gala, Mrs. Savage admits that she is not ready to say goodbye to Ira. Then, Hercules reveals his plan to bid on the hippo. When Mrs. Savage is whisked away, Hercules admires Ira. A man approaches and talks with the boy about the statue, correctly deducing Hercules’s plan. He smiles at Hercules, admires the statue, and adds that he hopes the boy wins Ira. This causes Hercules to recount the mythical labor to get Hippolyta’s belt, and he marvels at the hero’s mistake. Getting the belt was easy, but Hippolyta’s Amazons were incited to fight by Hera. Instead of giving the belt back, the mythical Hercules killed Hippolyta and her warriors.

After dinner, the man, who is the auctioneer, gives Hercules a paddle to bid. The boy has $76. The auction begins with bids for Eleanor, the baboon, and Hercules is horrified when it sells for over $11,000 to Mrs. Kinnamon, the same woman to whom his parents were delivering flowers on the day they died. Mrs. Kinnamon buys many statues, and he feels anger toward her. The final auction item is the hippo, and the man asks Hercules to start the bidding. The boy holds up his paddle and bids $76. When people laugh, the man reveals Hercules’s plan to return the statue to Mrs. Savage. Everyone goes silent. They nod when the man remarks that this generous act would be a fitting end to the evening. Mrs. Kinnamon tries to bid, but the man ignores her and sells Ira to Hercules. Mrs. Savage is ecstatic. When Hercules unties the ribbons from Ira’s neck, Mrs. Savage puts them on her belt.

Upon reflection, Hercules notes that he wanted to make sure Mrs. Savage got what is rightfully hers, which is what the original hero should have done with Hippolyta’s belt. He notes that when something is fixable, a person should do something about it. In his feedback, Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer shares that bad things happen that people are stuck with, which suggests that he himself has endured tragedy. Hercules earns a “B-.”