Procrustes

In Greek mythology, Procrustes ("the stretcher"), also known as Damastes ("subduer") and Polypemon ("harming much"), was a bandit from Attica. He had his stronghold in the hills outside Eleusis. Here he had an iron bed into which he invited every passerby to lie down. If they proved too tall, he would amputate the excess length; if the victim was found too short, they were then stretched out on the rack until they fit. Nobody would ever fit in the bed, because it was secretly adjustable : Procrustes would stretch or shrink it upon sizing his victims from afar.

He continued this reign of terror until he was captured by Theseus, who tied Procrustes to his own bed and cut off his head and feet. (Since Theseus was a stout fellow, for him the bed had been set on the short position.) Killing Procrustes was the last adventure of Theseus before he arrived in Athens.