In Greek mythology, Hermes was the messenger of the gods and the patron of travelers, thieves, and merchants. However, he was not always a respected god. In fact, when he was just a baby, he committed his first theft by stealing Apollo’s cattle.
Legend has it that one day, while Hermes was still in his cradle, he saw a herd of cattle grazing in a nearby field. Being mischievous by nature, he decided to steal them. He sneaked out of his cradle and headed towards the field.
To make sure he wouldn’t be caught, Hermes put shoes on his feet that were facing backward so that it would look like the cattle were moving in the opposite direction. He then drove them to a nearby cave where he hid them.
When Apollo discovered that his beloved cattle were missing, he searched high and low for them but could not find them anywhere. He even consulted with Zeus to try to locate them but to no avail.
Meanwhile, Hermes was enjoying himself in his cave with the stolen cattle. But eventually, hunger got the best of him and he had to leave to find food. When he returned to the cave, he found Apollo waiting for him.
Apollo demanded that Hermes return his cattle immediately and threatened him with severe punishment if he did not comply. However, Hermes managed to charm Apollo with his wit and humor and convinced him to forgive him for stealing the cattle.
As a gesture of goodwill, Hermes offered Apollo a lyre which he had made from a tortoise shell. Apollo was so impressed with the lyre that he forgot all about his stolen cattle and accepted it as a gift from Hermes.
From that day forward, Apollo and Hermes became good friends and even worked together on several occasions.
In conclusion, although stealing is wrong and should not be encouraged or condoned in any way, this story teaches us an important lesson about using our wit and charm to resolve conflicts and make amends for our mistakes. It also shows how even the gods were not perfect and had their own flaws and weaknesses.