Illustration of Icarus and Daedalus of ancient Greece wearing feathers and flying among the clouds

from the birds that landed at their window. When Daedalus had a pile of feathers, he stitched them together, and he used candle wax to fasten the ends. Then he attached the wings to harnesses that he had cleverly made from his sandals.

Icarus helped his father with his harness. Then he put on his own set of wings. Just before their escape, Daedalus warned his son, “You must not fly too high. The sun will melt the wax.”

The two men soared out over the sea. Icarus fluttered his wings joyfully. He felt like a leaf playing in the wind. As he flapped higher and higher, he forgot his father’s warning.

Suddenly a drop of hot wax trickled down his arm. A feather dropped from one wing. More feathers wafted down like snow.

“Fly lower, Icarus!” Daedalus shouted. But it was too late. He watched helplessly