Among the pupils of the wise and just Centaur，there wasa boy named Jason．He was by birth a prince．His father Aeson was once king of Iolcus，but was overthrown by his own half brother Pelias．So he sent his baby son Jason to the Centaur for safekeeping．As a boy Jason took part in the boarhunt．When he grew up into a strong youth he was told of the secret of his birth．So he went to avenge his father's wrongs ．
On his way back to his native city he met a weak old woman waiting to be helped across a mountain stream．Kind and polite，Jason carried the old lady on his back and walked across the stream．Little had he thought that the old woman was just Hera herself ．Thus he got the help and protection of a power fulfriend at the beginning of his life．As he lost one shoe in the stream he had to enter Pelias' palace in only one shoe． Pelias was quite scared to see such a stranger because he had been warned by a prophet to be careful of a man wearing only one shoe．He was not surprised when Jason told him who he was and what his business was about．The artful Pelias welcomed hisnephew with false pride and joy ；he promised to give up the kingdom to one who had proved himself worthy of it．And heurged the youth to bring the golden fleece back from Colchis．He felt quite certain that his nephew would never come back alivefrom the hopeless task．Pelias' prediction was quite right．Jasondied a poor death in the kingdom of Colchis．