Once, long ago on the island of Crete, a cruel man, the King Minos, prayed to his father, Zeus, to send him a great sacrifice.  And so Zeus directed Poseidon, God of the Sea,  to fashion a magnificent white bull out of the foam of the waves against the rocky shore, and the bull walked up out of the water.  The people of Crete were all amazed at this beautiful animal, but Minos’ foolish wife, Pasiphae, fell in love with it.