15 greek myth mini-books

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15 Greek MythMini-Books

by Danielle Blood

15 Greek Myth Mini-Books © Danielle Blood, Scholastic Teaching Resources

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Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pagesfrom this book for classroom use. No other part of this publication may bereproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted inany form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, orotherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regardingpermission, write to Scholastic Inc., 555 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

Cover design by Josué Castilleja

Cover and interior illustrations by Margeaux Lucas

Interior design by Ellen Matlach Hassell for Boultinghouse & Boultinghouse

ISBN: 0-439-21561-7

Copyright © 2001 by Danielle Blood

All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

For Mom, Dad, and Laura—with love and gratitude.

Acknowledgments Special thanks to the following people:

Sarah Longhi, for editing this book so thoughtfully.

Josué Castilleja and Ellen Matlach Hassell, for designing the elegant cover and interior.

Margeaux Lucas, for beautifully illustrating these stories.

Terry Cooper and Virginia Dooley, for supporting this project.

Betsy Yarbrough, Patricia Kenan-Herrmann, Kathy Pounds, Elizabeth Aldridge, and Julia Sneden, for

generously sharing their teaching expertise and ideas with me.

Author’s NoteMany versions of the Greek myths exist as a result of their beingretold through the centuries. The stories in this book are generallyconsistent with popular versions for this age group; however, theyhave been adapted to fit the mini-book format and differ in partsfrom other retellings. For example, the ending of “Curiosity and theBox” offers a nontraditional interpretation of how hope survives.


Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

How to Use This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Extension Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Mythology Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Greek Myth Mini-Books

Glossary and Pronunciation Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Welcome to Mount Olympus An Introduction to the Greek Gods and Goddesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Journey to the Underworld The Story of Persephone and Demeter . . . . . . . . . 15

A Tale of Two Spinners The Story of Arachne and Athena . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Curiosity and the Box The Story of Pandora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

A Trip Around the World The Story of Phaethon and Apollo . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Gossip and Vanity The Story of Echo and Narcissus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Music Makes the Underworld Go ‘Round

The Story of Orpheus and Eurydice. . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Cupid Falls in Love The Story of Cupid and Psyche. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

An Amazing Battle The Story of Theseus and the Minotaur . . . . . . . . . 45

Dangerous Heights The Story of Daedalus and Icarus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

The Race for Love The Story of Atalanta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

The Golden TouchThe Story of King Midas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Carved to PerfectionThe Story of Pygmalion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

A Petrifying Quest The Story of Perseus and Medusa . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

The Mysterious HorseThe Story of the Trojan War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

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Greek mythology was one of my favorite units toteach because students were always so surprised thatthese ancient stories could relate to today’s world—and, most important, to their own lives. The themesare timeless: love, courage, power, ambition, loss,jealousy, fear, triumph, and much more. Thecharacters show both heroic qualities and commonflaws. They experience both success and failure. Eventhe Greek gods and goddesses are far from perfect.They become angry, they hold grudges, and they evenfall in love.

The myths served many purposes in ancienttimes. Some of them explained natural phenomena,such as the rising and setting sun or the changingseasons. The myths also explored philosophical issuesthat people continue to grapple with today. Althoughthese stories are entertaining and fanciful, they dealwith issues of real life—and real life does not alwayshave a neat, happy ending. This is one of the mostintriguing aspects of mythology, especially sinceyoung readers have come to expect stories to endhappily. A sad ending can be baffling to students, butit can also lead them think about the stories on adeeper level. It motivates them to ask questions,search for answers, discuss ideas, and makeconnections to their own experiences.

Once students are familiar with these stories,they will begin to find references to Greek mythologyall around them. Museums are filled with paintingsand sculptures depicting the gods and goddesses.Students can even find mythology in the YellowPages! When students have read about Hermes, alogo of a winged sandal takes on new meaning. Afterthey’ve learned about gold-loving King Midas, they’llunderstand expressions like “the Midas touch.”

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Students will make connections as they learnvocabulary words, such as narcissistic, arachnid, andtitanic. Mythology also provides young readers withan excellent foundation for their future studies, as itis the basis for so many important pieces ofliterature.

These mini-books are short retellings of 15favorite myths, featuring simple text, livelyillustrations, and speech balloons. The comic-stripstyle and mini-book format help make the storiesaccessible and inviting to students of all readinglevels. For quick reference, you’ll find a glossary andpronunciation guide at the back of the book. Toextend learning, suggested activities for each mini-book are provided on pages 6–9. There are a numberof ways you can incorporate the mini-books into yourstudies. Here are some suggestions:

q Enhance language arts or social studies units onancient Greece.

q Supplement classroom texts.q Motivate reluctant readers.q Support visual learners.q Introduce myths in a quick, simple way.q Review myths at the end of the unit.q Prompt a class discussion.q Introduce a writing assignment.q Provide students with take-home materials.

Students sometimes underestimate how muchthey’ll enjoy a reading experience, especially if thematerial is “ancient.” These mini-books are one wayto help children have fun as they read—andencourage them to become fans of Greek mythology!

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Introduction“I thought the Greek myths were going to be boring!” oneof my students said midway through our mythology unit.

“Why did you think that?” I asked.

“Because they’re so old!”


Passed down through the centuries, first orally andlater in writing, the Greek myths have evolved intomany different versions. These 15 mini-books areshort retellings of favorite myths, including thestories of Arachne, Pandora, Daedalus, Atalanta,Perseus, Odysseus, and more. With engaging text,lively illustrations, and a comic-book style, the mini-books appeal to students of all reading levels. Thespeech balloons and illustrations help readers identifyand distinguish among characters, whose names areoften difficult to read and remember.

To introduce each mini-book, first review withstudents the characters who appear in it. On page 79,you will find a glossary and pronunciation guide forthe names of all the characters included in this book.Write the characters’ names on the board, along withbrief information about each one, and review thepronunciations with students. Then give each studentphotocopied pages of the mini-book and demonstratethe simple assembly steps at right. With guidance,students will be able to assemble their own bookswithout difficulty.

You can use the mini-books in a number of ways.They can be enjoyed on their own or used tosupplement other texts. As an inviting introduction,have students read the mini-book before reading alonger version of the myth. Reading the mini-bookfirst allows students to become familiar with thecharacters and story; this is especially helpful forreaders who may struggle with longer, morecomplicated text. The mini-books can also serve as afun way to review the myths at the end of a unit.

Students will enjoy reading these mini-booksaloud in class. They can play the roles of differentcharacters by reading aloud the text in the speechballoons. The mini-books are also suitable for a shortreading assignment at home—and students will beglad to add something light to their backpacks!

Greek mythology is a wonderful springboard forall kinds of activities: small- and large-groupdiscussions, creative writing, short essays, artprojects, classroom plays, and much more. Everystudent and class responds differently to the myths. It

is a good idea to generate activities and assignmentsbased on children’s reactions and interests. Thequestions that students raise in class often makeexcellent topics for writing assignments and otherprojects. You’ll find suggested extension activities andvocabulary words for each mini-book on pages 6–9.

How to Make the Mini-Books1. Make double-sided copies of the mini-book pages.

(Carefully tear along the perforation to removethe pages from the book.) Most mini-books have8 pages; some have 12 or 16 pages.

Note: If your machine does not have adouble-sided function, first make copies of mini-book pages 1/3. Place these copies in the papertray with the blank side facing up. Next, make acopy of mini-book pages 2/4 so that page 2/4copies directly behind page 1/3. Make a test copyto be sure the pages are positioned correctly.Repeat these steps with pages 6/8 and 5/7. (If thebook has 12 or 16 pages, repeat these steps withpages 9/11 and 10/12, and 13/15 and 14/16.)

2. Cut apart the mini-book pages along the solidline.

3. Place the pages in numerical order and thenstaple them along the mini-book’s spine.

4. Invite students to color the illustrations.

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How to Use This Book

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The magic potion made Cronos so sick that he vomited up first

the stone, then the blanket, and finally all five of his children—

now fully grown gods and goddesses. Together with his brothers

and sisters, Zeus battled his father and overthrew him.

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nos so sick that he vomited up first

fi of his children—h s

Meanwhile, young Zeus was happy and

healthy, living in the care of nymphs on

the outskirts of Mount Olympus. He

grew into a strong and majestic god,

and soon he yearned to live among

the other deities.

Surely it would be safe for

me to go to Mount Olympus.

I’m too big to be eaten now.

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Uranus and Gaea fell in love and bore 12 strong

and beautiful children, known as the Titans for

their great size. Cronos, the bravest of the bunch,

decided that Uranus had ruled long enough and

rose up against his father. Uranus fled, realizing

he was no match for his powerful son.

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Welcome to

Mount Olympus

An Introduction to the Greek Gods and Goddesses

and bore 12 strongf r


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Welcome to Mount Olympus

An Introduction to the Greek Gods and GoddessesThis mini-book introduces students to the domains ofthe gods and goddesses. For example, Poseidon’sdomain is the sea and Aphrodite’s domain is love.Invite students to draw a family tree of the gods andgoddesses. Have them write the characters’ domainsbeneath their names and draw pictures representingthose domains. These posters can serve as usefulstudy guides and are especially helpful for visuallearners. To reinforce the concept of domain, invitestudents to draw a picture of their own “domains.”For example, a student might write that her domainis the soccer field. Students can also decide on thedomains of family members, friends, and celebrities.

VOCABULARY: lofty, deities, overthrow, nectar,yearned, potion, domain, divine


Journey to theUnderworld

The Story of Persephone and DemeterAsk students to imagine that they are Persephonetrapped in the Underworld. Invite them to writeseveral entries in her diary describing herobservations of the Underworld, her feelings aboutbeing kidnapped, and her feelings toward Hades.What does she miss about the world above? Does shehave a plan to escape? How does she feel about Zeus’sdecision to make her spend half the year in theUnderworld and half the year on Earth? Encouragestudents to add illustrations to their diary entries.

VOCABULARY: whims, embedded, descended,grieved, barren, pomegranate

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A Tale of Two Spinners

The Story of Arachne and AthenaInstead of insulting the goddess of wisdom, Arachnecould have learned from Athena. Explain to studentswhat an apprentice is. Ask them to imagine that theyare applying to be an apprentice to one of the Greekgods. Have them write a business letter applying for ajob. Which god or goddess would they want to workfor? What might the job entail? If a student loves toswim or sail, he or she might write to Poseidon. If astudent loves to travel, a job with Hermes would beideal. Encourage them to use persuasive writing toconvince the god or goddess that they are right forthe job.

VOCABULARY: loom, swooped, boastful, mortals,deceitful, scurried


Curiosity and the BoxThe Story of Pandora

The end of this myth is one of the most memorablemoments in Greek mythology: Pandora opens theforbidden box and all the evils escape to plaguehumankind. Students might enjoy a lightheartedactivity after reading this serious ending. Askstudents to think of something that they would liketrapped in the box where it could not bother them.Encourage them to choose something from their ownlives, such as traffic jams, broken VCRs, homework,and so on. Have each student write one or two ofthese “pesky” things on a small square of paper.Collect the squares in a small box and then open thebox and read them aloud to the class. Invite studentsto imagine and write about the time before Pandoraopened the box and let all these pests escape.

VOCABULARY: inlaid, spite, plague, optimistic,temporary

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Extension Activities



A Trip Around the World

The Story of Phaethon and ApolloPhaethon and Apollo are the subjects of many piecesof art. Show students paintings and sculptures thatdepict Phaethon, Apollo, and other characters fromGreek mythology. Ask them to identify the charactersin each piece of art and describe what is happening inthe scene. What symbols help students identify thecharacters? Which point in the story did the artistchoose to show? Why do students think the artistchose this particular moment in the story? Havestudents choose a myth to illustrate. Ask them tothink about the moment in the story that they thinkis the most interesting and important. Invite them todraw that scene, including as much information asthey can about what is happening. Encourage themto include symbols that will help the viewer identifythe characters.

VOCABULARY: ordinary, boasting, shielded, eager,veer, bewildered, bolted, plunged, withered, minor


Gossip and VanityThe Story of Echo and Narcissus

Many Greek myths explain natural phenomena:Apollo’s chariot explains how the sun rises and sets;the story of Athena and Arachne explains how spidersbecame weavers; and the story of Echo and Narcissusexplains why there are echoes and narcissus flowers.After reading the story of Echo and Narcissus,students will be inspired to write their own creationmyths. Invite them to write a creative story thatexplains how something in modern-day life came intoexistence. For example, they can explain why thereare televisions, spaceships, or football.

VOCABULARY: eavesdropping, nymph, chatter,prattle, impudent, aimlessly, devastated


Music Makes theUnderworld Go ’Round

The Story of Orpheus and EurydiceIn this story, Orpheus travels to the Underworld tofind his wife. Longer versions of this myth providewonderful descriptions of the Underworld and itsinhabitants. Share some of these descriptions withstudents and then invite them to draw, color, andlabel a map of the Underworld. Have them showOrpheus’s path along with the characters he meets onthe way: Charon, Cerberus, Tantalus, Sisyphus,Persephone, Hades, and Eurydice. They may need touse several sources, such as the description providedin Heroes, Gods, and Monsters of the Greek Myths byBernard Evslin.

VOCABULARY: lyre, lulled, eternal, doomed, eternity,grasp


Cupid Falls in LoveThe Story of Cupid and Psyche

The ending of this myth may perplex students. Inother retellings, Cupid eventually forgives Psyche.Invite students to write their own ending. They caneither start where the mini-book leaves off, or goback into the story and start from a different point.Does Psyche take her sisters’ advice to peek at Cupidwhile he’s sleeping? Does Cupid decide that Psychedeserves a second chance?

VOCABULARY: suitors, devoted, withstand, oracle,gust, whisked, gnawed

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An Amazing BattleThe Story of Theseus and the Minotaur

The Minotaur, a creature with a man’s body and bull’shead, is just one of the many unusual creatures inGreek mythology. There are many other creaturesthat are combinations of different animals: centaursare half horse and half man; Pan has characteristicsof both a goat and a man; and Pegasus is a beautifulwinged horse. Ask students to invent their ownmythological creature and draw a picture of it.Encourage them to consider the abilities they wouldlike their creature to have. Can it fly? Speak? Swim?Then have students give their creature a name andwrite a myth about it. Their myth might explain howtheir creature came into existence, or it mightdescribe an adventure that the creature has.

VOCABULARY: sacrificed, oppose, devoured, slay,labyrinth, boarding, haste, horizon


Dangerous HeightsThe Story of Daedalus and Icarus

Ask students to imagine what life was like in ancienttimes without the conveniences that we areaccustomed to today. Invite them to imagine thatthey are Daedalus, the clever inventor. What wouldthey invent to make life easier? What materials wouldthey use to build their contraption? Have studentsdraw a picture of their invention and write a briefdescription of what it does. Encourage them to writetheir own myth about Daedalus and his latestinvention.

VOCABULARY: labyrinth, mercy, dismay, clumps

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The Race for LoveThe Story of Atalanta

Atalanta holds an unusual competition in this story: arace to win her hand in marriage. Invite students tocome up with different kinds of competitions inwhich mythological characters might compete. Askstudents to imagine an Olympics on Mt. Olympus.What events would they include and whom wouldthey choose to compete in each one? This is good wayto review the different gods and goddesses. Zeusmight hurl thunderbolts, Athena could enter thefencing competition, and Poseidon could go for thegold in surfing. Encourage students to be creative asthey invent their own events. Divide the class intosmall groups. Encourage each group to think of anevent, describe the event in a paragraph, and enterfive gods or goddesses. Have the groups share theirevents and then the rest of the class can vote on thewinners.

VOCABULARY: fend, panic, ravaging, stingy, cunning,ferocity, pelt, safeguarded, hearth, consumed,suitors, vow, potential, delectable, tunic


The Golden TouchThe Story of King Midas

Midas learns that it is possible to have too much of agood thing. Discuss this idea with students. Can theythink of other “good things” that it is possible to havetoo much of? How about ice cream, video games, ortelevision? Invite students to write their own comicstrip about a character who gets too much of a goodthing. Does the character learn a lesson, as Midasdid? Compile students’ comic strips to make aclassroom funny pages.

VOCABULARY: satisfy, standard, appetite, glee,quench, pathetic

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Carved to PerfectionThe Story of Pygmalion

In this myth, Pygmalion’s wish comes true: Thestatue of his ideal partner comes to life. Ask studentsto think of an inanimate object that they would liketo come to life. It could be anything: a favorite toy, arefrigerator, or even a pair of sneakers. Invite them towrite a creative story about this new “being.” What isits name? Where does it live? What would a day in thelife of this animate object be like? Encourage them toadd illustrations.

VOCABULARY: chiseled, solitary, emerge, exhaustion,pedestal, witty, altar, flush, embraced


A Petrifying QuestThe Story of Perseus and Medusa

This myth is filled with symbols, such as Hermes’winged sandals and Medusa’s snake-hair. Symbolsfrom Greek mythology are frequently used today.Many companies use names or symbols frommythology to represent their services or products.For example, several companies use Hermes’ wingedsandal as their logo. Ask students what message thissymbol sends to the consumer. Show students severalexamples of Greek references in modern life and askthem to think about why companies chose to usethese names or symbols. You can also challengestudents to find several examples of names orsymbols from Greek mythology on their own. Or havestudents make up their own company and use ameaningful symbol from Greek mythology as its logo.

VOCABULARY: consulted, oracles, fate, transformed,suspecting, fend, noble, quest, sickle, territory,petrifying, sacrificed, swooped, destined, halt,souvenir, spectator


The Mysterious HorseThe Story of the Trojan War

Odysseus convinces the Greek soldiers to hide in agiant hollow horse as part of his plan to conquer theTrojans. This clever scheme works in the end, buthow do students think the Greek soldiers felt about itbeforehand? What might have gone wrong? Askstudents to imagine that they are the Greek soldiershiding inside the horse. What conversation mightthey have? How do the soldiers feel when the horse isbeing moved inside the city walls? Invite them towork in small groups to write a short play. Remindthem to include Odysseus as one of the characters.The groups can perform their plays for the class.

VOCABULARY: countless, debated, mischievous,surrendered, reveler, rumbling, swift

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Books for StudentsBarth, Edna. Cupid and Psyche: A Love Story.

Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1976. Grades 4–6.

Colum, Padraic. Children’s Homer: The Adventuresof Odysseus and the Tale of Troy. New York:Macmillan, 1982. Grades 6–8.

D’Aulaires, Ingri and Edgar Parin. D’Aulaires’ Bookof Greek Myths. New York: Doubleday, 1962.Grades 3–6.

Evslin, Bernard. Heroes, Gods, and Monsters of theGreek Myths. New York: Bantam, 1975. Grades4–8.

Fisher, Leonard Everett. The Olympians: Great Godsand Goddesses of Ancient Greece. New York:Holiday House, 1984. Grades 3–5.

Green, Roger L. Tales of Greek Heroes. New York,Penguin, 1974. Grades 4–8.

McCaughrean, Geraldine. Greek Gods andGoddesses. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998.Grades 3–6.

Williams, Marcia. Greek Myths for Young Children.Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 1992. Grades 2and up (older students will enjoy the comic-stripstyle).

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Books for TeachersFitzgerald, Robert, trans. The Odyssey. New York:

Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1961.

Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Godsand Heroes. 1942. Reprint. New York: WarnerBooks, 1999.

Lattimore, Richmond, trans. The Iliad of Homer.Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951.

Melville, A. D., trans. Metamorphoses. New York:Oxford University Press, 1986.

Rearick, John. Greek Myths: 8 Short Plays for theClassroom. New York: Scholastic, 1997.

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Mythology Resources


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Welcome to Mount OlympusAn Introduction to the Greek Gods and Goddesses

Uranus and Gaea fell in love and bore 12 mighty children, known as the Titans.Cronos, the bravest of the bunch, decidedthat Uranus had ruled long enough androse up against his father. Uranus fled,realizing he was no match for hispowerful son.


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Mount Olympus was no ordinary mountain. On thisenormous and lofty mountain in ancient Greece, the treesgrew taller, the grass grew greener, and the air smelledsweeter. The most unusual aspect of Mount Olympus was itsinhabitants—the Greek gods and goddesses themselves. Onthis magical mountain, their story began with the first twodeities: Gaea, the earth goddess, and Uranus, the sky god.

Cronos became the new ruler and married thegoddess Rhea. As powerful as he was, Cronos wasafraid of one thing: babies. He feared that one ofhis own children would overthrow him, just as hehad overthrown his father. When Rhea gave birthto their first child, Cronos snatched the newbornbaby and swallowed it whole.

After Cronos had swallowed their fifth child, Rheacame up with a plan. When their next child wasborn, Rhea named the baby Zeus and quickly hidhim away. When Cronos demanded the newborn,she instead handed him a stone wrapped in a babyblanket. Cronos popped the stone in his mouthand gulped it down, blanket and all.

Rhea, will you bringme a glass of nectarto wash this down?

Of course, husband.Anything you say.


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The magic potion made Cronos so sick that he vomited up firstthe stone, then the blanket, and finally all five of his children—now fully grown gods and goddesses. Together with his brothersand sisters, Zeus battled his father and overthrew him.

Meanwhile, young Zeus was happy andhealthy, living in the care of nymphs onthe outskirts of Mount Olympus. Hegrew into a strong and majestic god,and soon he yearned to live among the other deities.

Surely it would be safe forme to go to Mount Olympus.I’m too big to be eaten now.


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Rhea missed her son terribly, so she brought him to Mount Olympusdisguised as a royal servant. But this humble position did not satisfy theyoung god for long. One morning after Cronos did his daily exercises—a quick jog around the universe—he called for his new servant to fetchhim a drink. Zeus quickly brought him a golden goblet, filled to thebrim with a potion that he had mixed himself. Cronos slurped up thepotion and then felt a terrible pain in his stomach.

Hmmm . . .this looks good.What is it?

Something special I made just for you.

Zeus now became the new ruler and chose Hera as his wife and queen.He then gave each of his siblings his or her own domain of power, sothat he wouldn’t have to look after everything himself. In time theywould have help from their children and other divine relatives:Aphrodite, the goddess of love; Athena, the goddess of wisdom; Hermes,the messenger god; and many others. Yet even with the gods andgoddesses in charge, things did not run as smoothly as one might think.There always seemed to be trouble brewing on Mount Olympus. . . .Zeus

Sky

HeraWomen andMotherhood

DemeterHarvest

HestiaHearth and

Home

HadesUnderworld

PoseidonSea

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Journey to theUnderworld

The Story of Persephone and Demeter

One day as Persephone was gathering flowers, she wandered awayfrom her mother and lost all track of time. As she noticed Apollo’schariot setting lower in the sky, she turned toward home. Just thenshe spotted an unusual flower and bent to pick it. As she pulled upthe flower, the earth suddenly split beneath her and a golden chariotemerged. The enormous driver wore a long black cape and a crownembedded with black gems. Before Persephone could scream forhelp, he pulled her into the chariot and they descended into the pit.


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As goddess of the harvest, Demeter blessed the earth with allgrowing things. She loved the flowers, the trees, the fields,and all of her glorious creations, but most of all she lovedher daughter, Persephone. Together they roamed about theearth, creating new kinds of plants, fruits, and flowers tosuit their whims.

What should we callthis one, Persephone?

How about a skunk cabbage?It smells terrible!

Demeter searched everywhere for her daughter, but days and weekspassed with no sign of Persephone. As Demeter grieved, the earthgrew cold and barren. Leaves fell from the trees and nothing grewfrom the cracked, dry soil. The humans brought Demeter whateversacrifices they could find—dead leaves and branches—hoping thatthe goddess would bless them with a harvest.

I can’t be bothered with the harvest.I must find my daughter!

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Persephone was overjoyed to see Hermes and learn that shewould return to her mother. But when she heard the condition,she knew that all hope was lost. She had refused all of the tastytreats Hades had tempted her with, but just that morning shehad eaten six tiny seeds from a pomegranate.

As Demeter continued to search, she came across ashepherd who had news of Persephone. He describedwhat he had heard from another shepherd: Persephonehad been kidnapped by a god driving a chariot pulled byfour black horses. Demeter knew at once that the culpritwas her own brother Hades, lord of the Underworld.

He has been getting awaywith his mischief since wewere kids! Enough is enough!


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Zeus decided that he would make an exception, just thisonce. He ruled that for every pomegranate seed she ate,Persephone must spend one month in the Underworldwith Hades. During these months, Demeter mourns theloss of her daughter and nothing grows on earth. Eachyear when Persephone returns to her mother, Demeterrejoices and everything on earth springs into full blossom.And so spring follows winter year after year, reflecting themoods of the harvest queen.

Demeter raced up Mount Olympus and demandedthat Zeus return her daughter at once.

Zeus knew that this would not do. He called forHermes, the messenger god, to fetch Persephoneand return her to Demeter.

But sister, they are happily married.Persephone is queen of theUnderworld and has a dotinghusband to look after her.

But if she has eaten anything inthe Underworld, even I cannotbring her back. It will be too late.

She will be miserable underground. Unlessyou return her to me, the earth will remaina wasteland and the humans will havenothing to offer you as a sacrifice.


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A Tale of Two SpinnersThe Story of Arachne and Athena

Athena, the goddess of wisdom, thought she heardsomeone say her name. She swooped down fromMount Olympus to listen. When she heard theboastful girl daring to compare herself to a goddess,Athena disguised herself as an old woman andknocked on Arachne’s door.

I hear that Athena hasblessed you with great skill.

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My talents are my own. Athena has nothingto do with it. She may be a goddess, buther skill is no match for mine.


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Arachne was such a skilled weaver that people traveledfar and wide just to watch her working at her loom.Eventually, all of the attention went to her head, andArachne started to brag about her talent.

No one can weave as well as I—not eventhe goddess Athena, who invented weaving!

Forgive me? But I’m telling the truth!If Athena is insulted, she can pay mea visit. I’ll be glad to show her a thingor two about weaving. We’d see whowas the better weaver soon enough.

You may be a talented weaver, butyou are a foolish girl.You shouldask for Athena’s forgiveness.


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Athena was furious when she saw how Arachne had portrayed thegods. She was even more outraged when she realized that her ownskill was only slightly better than the girl’s. She shredded Arachne’smasterpiece and then struck her with the shuttle from her loom.

With that, Athena threw off her cloak and wigand stood majestically before Arachne.

Well then, foolish girl, you’re on.Let the competition begin!

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Crowds gathered to watch the weaving match. Neverbefore or since have such creations flowed from theloom. Athena wove glorious scenes of the gods andgoddesses, more beautiful and striking images than mortals had ever seen. Arachne also wove scenes of the gods, but she showed them as angry, jealous, and deceitful.

In that moment, Arachne began to shrinkuntil her whole body was smaller than alittle toe. She started to sprout legs untilshe had eight in all, and black hair grewall over her body. The tiny creaturescurried to the highest spot it could find,and there it began weaving a delicateweb—a home for the world’s first spider.


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Curiosity and the BoxThe Story of Pandora

He ordered Hephaestus to create a beautifulwoman, and he named her Pandora. Aphroditegave her the gift of beauty, Athena taught hervarious arts, and Zeus gave her a shiny goldenbox inlaid with precious stones and told hernever to open it. Last, he gave her curiosity.

Why, thank you, Zeus.What’s inside?

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That’s for me to knowand you not to find out.


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In the early days, life was very different for humans. Itall changed, however, when they accepted the gift of firefrom one of the less powerful gods, named Prometheus.Zeus was furious with the humans for not asking hispermission first, so he devised a plan to punish them.

Hermes guided Pandora down from Mount Olympus andpresented her to Prometheus’s brother, Epimetheus. Thetwo married and lived happily—except that Pandoracould not forget about the forbidden box. Every nightshe lay awake thinking about what could be inside. Shetied the box shut and locked it in a chest in the attic,but she could not get it out of her mind.

Maybe if I take up a hobby, I’llstop thinking about this box.


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Pandora shut the box as quickly asshe could, trapping one last evilinside. This last evil was Despair—the total loss of hope.

Pandora tried everything—stomping grapes, designingtogas, playing the lyre—but nothing could get her mindoff of that mysterious present. One night, Pandora layawake, once again thinking about the little golden box.

She crept into the attic, unlocked the chest,untied the string, and—holding her breath—opened the box.

The suspense is killing me! What’sthe harm in taking one little peek?Then I’ll just close up the box andno one will ever know I opened it.


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Suddenly, a swarm of evils exploded from the smallbox, filling the air with howls of grief! Disease, Envy,Vanity, Spite, Old Age, Deceit, Distrust, and othermiseries flew out of the box—evils that wouldplague humankind from that moment on.

If Despair had escaped from the box, people would never expectanything good to happen. All of their hopes and dreams wouldseem impossible, and they would simply give up. But withDespair trapped in the box, hope would survive. And hope iswhat keeps humankind optimistic, always looking at the bright side of what is yet to come.

Uh-oh. Now look at what I’ve done! But maybe this is just temporary. SurelyI can catch these horrible things and putthem back in their little box where theywon’t bother anyone. . . .

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A Trip Around the WorldThe Story of Phaethon and Apollo

Clymene constantly reminded Phaethon that he was the sonof powerful Apollo, and Phaethon reminded his friends ofthe fact every day at school. His friends soon grew tired ofPhaethon’s boasting.

Apollo this and Apollo that . . .you have an awful lot to sayabout someone you’ve nevereven met!

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How do we even know he’s yourfather in the first place? You look abit scrawny to be the son of a god.


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Although Clymene was a nymph in ancient Greece, she was notvery different from mothers today. Clymene was extremely proudof her son Phaethon and knew that he was no ordinary youngboy—especially since his father was no ordinary man. Phaethon’sfather was the sun god Apollo, who drove a fiery, golden chariotacross the sky to bring light and warmth to the world.

Phaethon went home very upset that day. He couldn’thelp wondering if what his friends said was true. Afterall, he had never met Apollo. And the sun didn’t shineany stronger on him than on anyone else.

I can’t go back to school until I canprove that Apollo really is my father!

Well, you can pay him a visittomorrow morning, while it is stilldark outside. His palace is just ashort distance to the east.


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Of course I am! And just to prove it, I’ll grant youone wish. Would you like your very own goldenpony? How about a miniature golden chariot toshow your friends at school? Just name yourheart’s desire, and I promise it shall be yours.

I know how I can prove to everyone thatI am your son. My wish is to drive yourchariot all by myself across the sky, sothat the entire world will see me!

Excited and nervous, Phaethon set out on his shortjourney the next morning. He was glad he wouldfinally meet his father, but he was also scared to comeface to face with a god. Soon he reached a goldenpalace that seemed to glow, even though the sky wasstill dark. On shaky knees, Phaethon climbed thesteep staircase and opened the enormous front door.


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It was not difficult to find Apollo—all Phaethon had to do was follow thegolden light. He shielded his eyes when he entered the throne room.Recognizing the young boy as his son, Apollo removed his glowingcrown so that Phaethon could look directly at him.

At last you’ve decided to pay your oldpop a visit. Come closer, Phaethon, soI can see how you’ve grown.

So it’s true.You reallyare my father!

Please, Son, not that! You won’t live to tellabout it. I am the only one who can controlthose horses. Even Zeus himself could notdo it.

But you said I could have whateverI wanted, and driving your chariotis the only thing I want.


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On Mount Olympus, Zeus was roused from his sleep byscreams of terror from the earth below. He was shockedto see Apollo’s chariot swaying out of control—and ayoung boy in the driver’s seat.

What was Apollo thinking, letting a minordrive his chariot—and a mortal, no less!I’ll have a word with him later.There’sonly one thing to do now.

Apollo tried to change Phaethon’s mind, but the boy stubbornly refused.The chariot was due to light the sky in minutes, and Apollo was runningout of time. He led Phaethon to the stables where the enormous goldenhorses were eager to set out on their daily journey. Placing Phaethon inthe chariot, Apollo gave his best advice.

These horses are fast and powerful, unlikeanything on earth. Hold tight to the reins andtry to keep them on course. Don’t let themveer too high, or the earth will freeze withoutthe chariot’s warmth. And don’t drive too closeto earth, or the chariot will burn everythingwith its heat.

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Zeus picked up a nearby lightning bolt and hurled it atthe chariot. The lightning struck Phaethon and sent himflying from the chariot in a blaze of light. Those who sawit thought it was a shooting star falling from the sky intothe ocean below. The horses returned to their stable, andthe earth eventually recovered from its terror, but Apollonever forgave himself for making the foolish promisethat cost his son’s life.

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Apollo opened the stable doors and the horses burst into the sky.Within seconds, Phaethon lost his grip on the reins. Bewildered,the horses ran off course. First they bolted high into the sky, andthen they plunged straight down toward the earth. They were closeenough that Phaethon could see the destruction left in their path:Fields withered, oceans boiled, and mountains turned intovolcanoes. The lands closest to the chariot baked and became the world’s first deserts.

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Gossip and VanityThe Story of Echo and Narcissus

Echo continued to distract the powerful goddess with her endlessprattle, while Zeus sneaked away from the scene. Hera turnedaround just in time to see her husband and realized that thisimpudent nymph was trying to trick her. In her fury, she punishedEcho with a cruel curse: Echo would never be able to speak again,except to repeat the last words that others spoke to her.


If you lived on Mount Olympus and wanted tofind out anything about anyone, you would askEcho. She made it her business to mindeveryone else’s. One day, as Echo waseavesdropping on a friendlyconversation between Zeus and alovely nymph, she saw Zeus’s wife,Hera, storming toward them.Before Hera could get a glimpse ofZeus, Echo grabbed her arm andbegan updating her on the latestgossip about the gods—leavingout Zeus, of course.

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Stop your chatter, girl! Can’t you see I’m in a hurry?I’m looking for my husband.

I haven’t seen him, but I justsaw Poseidon heading thatway . . . and you’ll neverguess who was with him!

Trying to trick the queen of the gods!This will serve you right!

Of course I’m right.I’m a goddess.

You right!


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Meanwhile, Narcissus had stopped for a drink of water by a pool,where he saw the most beautiful face he had ever laid eyes on.And he finally discovered what it meant to be in love. But whenNarcissus reached to touch the fair skin and golden locks, theface vanished beneath the ripples of water.

Come back! Don’t leave me!Can’t you see we’re perfectfor each other?

Echo wandered aimlessly through the woods, whereshe came upon Narcissus, the most beautiful youngman ever to grace Mount Olympus. Echo caughtone glimpse—that face, those eyes, that hair!—andinstantly fell in love. She rushed to meet Narcissus,who was annoyed to be followed by yet another girl.

What do you want?

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You want?

I don’t want anything. Don’t tell meyou’re another one of these foolishgirls who think that they love me!

No, I won’t love you. I’ve yet tofind anyone worthy of my love.

Love me!


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Narcissus turned to leave, and Echo was devastated. First she hadlost her voice and now she was losing her heart to Narcissus. Shehid herself in a cave and wept endlessly, until her body witheredaway and all that remained was her voice—an echo.

When the water became still, the perfectlycarved face reappeared. But every timeNarcissus tried to touch it, the facedisappeared in the waves. Narcissusvowed he would wait there forever for hisbeloved to come out. Little did he knowthat he had fallen in love with his ownreflection. Narcissus waited day and nightuntil a god took pity on him and changedhim into a golden flower. And there heremained, a golden narcissus flowergrowing by the water.


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Music Makes theUnderworld Go ’Round

The Story of Orpheus and Eurydice

The couple soon fell in love, and their wedding daywas filled with music—the most joyful musicOrpheus had ever played. But the happiness endedsuddenly when Eurydice stepped on a poisonoussnake as she was dancing and received a deadly bite.


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The most beloved musician in all of Greece was Orpheus.When he played his lyre and sang, all who heard himforgot their troubles. Even animals would stop to listen,and flowers and trees would turn to hear. His mostdevoted fan of all was a young maiden named Eurydice.

Orpheus grieved for the loss of his wife, but he soon became tiredof feeling sorry for himself. He decided to travel to the Underworldand bring Eurydice back with him. With his lyre, Orpheus set off.

First he came to the river Styx, where Charon takes spiritsacross on his ferry. He asked to be carried across, but the stubbornboatman refused. Orpheus began to play a song with the rhythm ofocean waves, and even the hard-hearted Charon could not resist.

Can’t you read the sign? . . .Hades won’t like this, but I’llmake an exception, just this once.


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Orpheus was overjoyed and set off at once. He played songs todistract himself, but he could not stop wondering if Eurydice wasreally following. What if Hades had tricked him into leaving theUnderworld without his wife? After all, the gods were known to becruel. If he left the Underworld, he might never get another chanceto enter again—and all hope would be lost. As he neared the lightof day, his fears grew stronger and he could not resist turningaround for just one peek.

When he got off the ferry, Orpheus came face to facewith a fierce three-headed dog. This was Cerberus,Hades’ guard dog and beloved pet. Before thecreature sank its three sets of fangs into his leg,Orpheus began to play a soothing song about lambchops. The music lulled Cerberus to sleep, and soonall three of his mouths were drooling.

Orpheus continued playing songs as he made hisway through the Underworld. The spirits whoheard him forgot their surroundings and imaginedthey were alive and happy. Tantalus, who waspunished with eternal thirst, forgot about drinkingthe forbidden water. Sisyphus forgot about theboulder he was doomed to push for eternity andlet it slip and roll over his big toe.

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At last Orpheus came to Hades, seated beside Persephone, hisqueen. Orpheus begged to have his wife returned to him, butHades would not hear of it. Then Orpheus played a song hehad written about his loss, and even Hades could not helpfeeling the sadness of the music. Persephone took pity onOrpheus and whispered to her husband. Hades could notrefuse her request to bend the rules, just this once.

As you are leaving the Underworld,Eurydice will follow behind you. But thereis one condition: You must not look back.You must have faith that she is there.

There was his wife, just as happy as she lookedon their wedding day. But as he reached out tograsp her hand, Eurydice vanished from sight.


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Cupid Falls in LoveThe Story of Cupid and Psyche

Psyche was annoyed by her trail of admirers. Meanwhile,Aphrodite, the goddess of love, watched Psyche and herdevoted following from Mount Olympus. Like Psyche’ssisters, Aphrodite grew jealous. The goddess of lovecalled her son Cupid to help.

Cupid, darling, shoot one of yourarrows at that girl who is stealingall the attention. But make sureshe falls in love with somethingridiculous, like a pig or a goat!

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Long, long ago, sisters did not always get along. Psycheand her two older sisters were no exception. Psyche’ssisters were envious of her beauty and the number of suitors who followed her all over town.

What’s so specialabout her?

Cupid had no choice but to obey his mother’s orders, so he flewdown to where Psyche lay sleeping. As he drew his bow and arrow,Cupid noticed how beautiful she was. He lost his concentrationand accidentally scratched himself with the arrow. Not even thegod of love can withstand the strength of his own arrows, and soCupid fell in love for the very first time. From that moment on,Cupid guarded Psyche and made sure she never married.

Hey, what’s happening to me?I suddenly feel light-headedand giddy!

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Psyche missed her husband during the long hoursof the day. She grew so lonely that she asked if hecould bring her sisters for a visit. The next day, thetwo sisters were whisked into the castle by a gustof wind. They marveled at the splendor of thepalace and at Psyche’s beautiful clothes, butjealousy gnawed at them.

Psyche made up an excuse, but finally broke downand told them that she had never actually seenher husband.

Well, where is this famous husbandwho spoils you rotten with riches?Doesn’t he have the manners togreet his wife’s sisters?

Never seen him? Then surely he is ahideous monster! Perhaps he is planningto gobble you up for dinner! You musttake a peek at him while he is sleeping.

Psyche’s father consulted an oracle to learn why his daughterhad not yet married. The oracle said that Psyche must be lefton a mountainside to be claimed by her future husband.Fearful and alone, Psyche waited there until it grew dark.Suddenly, a gust of wind picked her up and carried her faraway to a beautiful castle. She wandered inside and lookedeverywhere for her husband, terrified of whom or what shemight find. But the castle was completely empty.


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Psyche met her husband soon enough, but only at night whenshe could not see him. He was gentle and kind, and she grew tolove him very much. But every day, as soon as Apollo’s chariotbegan to light the sky, he fled the castle before she could catch aglimpse of him. When she asked him why this was so, he replied,“Trust me, my little valentine. I will let you see me in time.”

That night while her husband slept, Psyche lit an oil lampand tiptoed to his side. She beheld the most beautifulsight—there, peacefully sleeping, lay the god of love. As shereached to touch his face, a drop of hot oil dripped from thelamp onto Cupid’s shoulder and he awoke with a start.When he saw Psyche, he was heartbroken. He knew that shedid not trust him, and that love can be built only upontrust. He flew out of the castle, never to return.


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An Amazing BattleThe Story of Theseus and the Minotaur

On your trip home, replace theblack sails with white sails as asign that you are returning safely.

King Aegeus protested at first, not wanting to risk his son’s life.But finally he gave in and made Theseus promise one thing.


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Every nine years, the cruel King Minos ofCrete demanded that King Aegeus of Athenssend him seven young men and sevenyoung maidens. These young Athenianswould be sacrificed to the Minotaur, adreadful creature with the body of a manand the head of a bull. No one dared tooppose King Minos for fear that he wouldwage a terrible war in return. When thetime came once again to choose the youthsto be sacrificed, Theseus volunteered to go.Theseus was the brave and noble son ofKing Aegeus. His plan was not to bedevoured by the Minotaur but to slay the beast once and for all.

When the Athenians arrived in Crete, they were welcomed by King Minos.

Snack! That’s what you think.

What a fine lot of Athenian menand women! A lovely snack formy pet Minotaur.

And what makes you so bold?

The gods favor me.


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The next day, Theseus volunteered to bethe first to face the Minotaur. As heentered the Labyrinth, he let the threadunwind behind him. Theseus made hisway through the twists and turns of themaze until he reached its center, wherehe came upon a hideous snoringcreature. Theseus crept up behind thebull-man and grabbed his horns—and abattle began. After a great struggle thatlasted late into the night, Theseusmanaged to slay the beast.

To see if this was true, Minos gave Theseus an impossible task.He threw his blood-red ruby ring into the sea and orderedTheseus to fetch it. Theseus dove into the dark depths, prayingto Poseidon for guidance. He swam deeper and deeper until hesaw something glimmering in front of him. He grabbed thering and sped back to the surface. Minos was furious, realizingthat the gods most likely did favor this Athenian.


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Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos, watched as the Athenianswere brought ashore to Crete. When she saw how proud and braveTheseus looked, even in chains, she instantly fell in love. Thatnight she sneaked to his cell and whispered through the window.

Brave Athenian, you will not survive without myhelp.The Minotaur is kept in a Labyrinth, a mazeof bushes that no one can find his way through.Please take this thread. Mark your path with it sothat you can find your way out of the Labyrinth.

Thank you. What canI do for you in return?

Take me back to Athens with you.I am miserable here in Crete.

Theseus followed the thread to the entrance of theLabyrinth and quickly rounded up Ariadne and theprisoners. Since it was the middle of the night, noone saw them boarding their ship. But in theirhaste, Theseus forgot his promise to his father, andthey set off with black sails instead of white.

Every day King Aegeus watched for signs of hisson’s return. One day as he stood watch, he noticeda ship on the horizon. As it drew nearer, Aegeussaw that the sails were black and, in despair, hestepped off the cliff into the sea below. Since then,the sea has been known by the name of the grief-stricken king—the Aegean Sea.


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That night, Daedalus and his son Icarus were ledto the center of the Labyrinth. The guard carriedcandles to light the way. Since the guard had a sonabout the same age as Icarus, he took pity on themand left some candles behind.

Dad, it’s so dark inhere. I’m scared.

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Please have mercy andleave us a few candles.

What are we going to do,Father? Don’t you knowthe way out of here?

No, son, not even I know the wayout. And even if we did find our wayby luck, Minos would put us rightback where we started.

Dangerous Heights

The Story of Daedalus and Icarus


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The famous inventor Daedalus spent many years working forKing Minos. In fact, it was Daedalus who designed the mazeof bushes where the Minotaur was kept. After Theseus killedthe Minotaur and escaped from the Labyrinth, King Minoswas furious with Daedalus.

How could he have escaped, Daedalus?As your punishment, you shall beimprisoned in the Labyrinth you created!And take that son of yours with you!

The next morning, Daedalus awoke to the sound of birdschirping. When he opened his eyes, he remembered withdismay where he was. He watched a bird gobble up a wormfor breakfast and fly up and away from the Labyrinth.

I know! We’ll fly out of here!I’ll create wings for us.It’s our only hope!

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Early the next morning they flew up and away, just like the birds.Daedalus looked back and all he could see of the Labyrinth was a tinyspot of green, getting smaller and smaller until it was gone. The skywas bright and beautiful, the air was cool, and the sun shonepleasantly on him. He began to relax and his eyelids grew heavy.

Daedalus and Icarus spent the next few daysgathering all the feathers they could find. ThenDaedalus fashioned two sets of wings by gluingthe feathers together with hot candle wax.

Dad, are you done yet?How much longer?

You asked that five minutesago. Have patience, Son.


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At last the wings were finished. The father and sonput on their wings and practiced taking off andlanding. Icarus could not wait to take to the sky.

Just remember, if you fly too low, the oceanwater will splash your wings and weigh youdown. And if you fly too high, the sun willmelt the wax on your wings.You mustfollow me and stick to the middle course.

Icarus flapped ahead of his father, excited to see everythingthe sky had to offer. He wanted to fly right through a fluffywhite cloud, just to see what it felt like. He flew higher andhigher, but the clouds were always above him, just out ofreach. Determined, Icarus flapped even harder.

Sweat dripped from his forehead, and soon he feltsomething drip on his arm. It was the wax, melting fromthe sun’s hot rays. Icarus called to his father for help, butDaedalus was too far behind. Feathers began to fall fromhis wings in clumps, and then Icarus himself began tofall—down, down, down—toward the sea below.


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The Race for LoveThe Story of Atalanta

Many years later in the nearby townof Calydon, everyone was in a panic.A wild boar was ravaging the landand no one could stop it. This wasnot an ordinary boar—it was sent bythe goddess Artemis to punish thepeople for being so stingy with theirsacrifices. The king of Calydongathered all of the best hunters,including his son Meleager, to tacklethe beast once and for all. They wereready to set out when an unusualhunter showed up—a woman!

Sorry, we’re not takingalong any women to cook.

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Cook? I can’t help you with that.I heard you were looking for the besthunters in the world, and your groupwouldn’t be complete without me.


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Atalanta’s father was not very pleased when she was born. He wasa king who was used to getting what he wanted. He told his wifehe wanted a son, and what did he get? A daughter. He was sodisgusted that he ordered a servant to leave the infant on amountainside to fend for herself. There, a family of bears foundthe girl and—thinking she resembled a baby bear without anyfur—they adopted her.

The young woman, strangely dressed from head to toein animal skins, looked confident and strong. This wasAtalanta, the once-abandoned baby, who was now grownup and quite good at fending for herself. The bears hadalso taught her a thing or two about hunting. Meleageradmired her courage and made sure she was allowed tojoin the hunting party.


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The horrible news soon reached Meleager’smother, Althaea. Outraged that her son hadmurdered her two brothers, Althaea raced tothe highest tower of the castle and unlocked asmall closet that held only a log. WhenMeleager was a baby, the Fates—three oldwomen who have the power to decide thefuture—came to visit Althaea. They placed alog in the fire and said that Meleager wouldlive as long as the log remained unburned.Althaea had pulled the log from the fire andsafeguarded it from that day on. But now shetook out the log and threw it into the hearth where a fire blazed.

The group found the boar soon enough—his enormous size madehim easy to spot. But his speed, cunning, and ferocity made himalmost impossible to conquer. The boar raced around the hunters,throwing them into confusion. Arrows zipped through the air,catching more hunters than anything else. Finally, an arrow hitthe boar behind the ear, and it fell to the ground.

Well done! Who shot that?

It was the girl! Lucky shot.

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Meleager finished the boar off with his sword andthen offered the prized pelt and tusks to Atalanta.

A heated argument began, and Meleager’s uncles said terriblethings about Atalanta. Insults turned into pushes, pushes intopunches, and—in his fury—Meleager killed his two uncles.

If your arrow hadn’t knockedthe boar down, I wouldn’thave been able to kill it.

But Meleager, since you killedthe beast, the prize is yours!

At that moment, Meleager and Atalantawere gazing into each other’s eyes. Theywere talking about their future together—marriage, children, and lots of hunting—when suddenly Meleager jumped up, rancircles around Atalanta, and collapsed ather feet. As the fire consumed the cursedlog, it consumed Meleager’s life as well.Atalanta vowed that she would never loveagain and never marry.


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When the suitors heard this, many of them gave up. They knewthat Atalanta was faster than anyone—man or woman. But therest were too love-struck to leave. They were willing to risk theirlives for the small chance of winning Atalanta as their bride.

After the boar hunt, everyone wanted to find out who thismysterious huntress was and where she had come from. Theking who had once abandoned Atalanta now apologized anddeclared that he was proud of his daughter’s bravery, strength,and skills. He wouldn’t hear of Atalanta living with the bearsany longer, and soon she was back in the castle.


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Now that she was a princess (and one whose bravery and skill wonmany admirers), Atalanta had suitors lining up outside the castle.But she would not even let them in the door—she had notforgotten her vow. The king was getting frustrated with hisdaughter’s stubborn ways and had a word with her.

Atalanta, there are perfectly goodpotential husbands out there!Certainly one of them would meetyour standards, if you would justgive them a chance.

All right, Father. Let them raceme. He who wins, wins my handin marriage. He who loses, dies.

One young man knew it would take more than just luck to outrunAtalanta. Hippomenes prayed to the goddess of love for her help.Aphrodite was always in favor of setting up a good match, so shegave Hippomenes three delectable golden apples and told him theplan. He hid the apples in his tunic and prepared for the race.


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Atalanta quickly caught up tohim and dashed toward the finishline. Hippomenes took out thethird and final apple—his onlychance to win the race and savehis life. Confident that she wouldwin, as always, Atalanta thoughtnothing of stopping for one lastapple. But Hippomenes hadthrown the apple far off thetrack, and Atalanta misjudgedhow long it would take her toreach it. Hippomenes won therace by a few steps, and he alsowon the fastest bride in Greece.

Atalanta’s father gave the signal, and the runners were off. Theywere neck and neck for the first few minutes, but soon Atalanta leftHippomenes in the dust. It was time to give Aphrodite’s plan a try.Hippomenes pulled out one of the golden apples and threw it inAtalanta’s direction, slightly out of her way.

What an unusual apple!I can afford a fewseconds to pick it up.


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Hippomenes caught up, but Atalanta again sped ahead.Hippomenes threw the second apple farther off to the side.Atalanta could not resist the second apple either, and shedarted after it. Hippomenes burst into the lead!


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The Golden TouchThe Story of King Midas

Midas once did a favor for a god, and in return he was grantedone wish—anything he wanted. Midas thought long and hard.

How could one wish satisfy his countless desires? Hethought he deserved at least three. After all, weren’t threewishes the standard reward? He felt cheated until an ideastruck him like a flash.

I know how I can get it all!My wish is that everything I touch will turn to gold!

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King Midas was a greedy man—in fact, he was one of thegreediest people who ever lived. All day long he thoughtabout how much gold he had, and all night he dreamedabout how he could get even more.

Midas could not resist testing his new power immediately.He reached out and broke off a twig from a tree. To hisdelight, the twig became solid gold. He began grabbingeverything in sight—dirt, leaves, grass, flowers—andeverything he touched hardened into pure gold.

I’ll be the wealthiest, most powerful kingin all the world! I’m going to spend everyminute of the day turning things into gold.I won’t even stop to sleep!


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The greedy king worked up quite an appetiterushing about, tagging everything in sight.After many hours, he returned to the castleto order a royal feast. As he sat down, thetable and chair turned to gold at his touch.He noticed with glee that the cup became agolden goblet in his hand. Midas took a sipof water to quench his terrible thirst andsuddenly choked on a glob of metal!Spitting it out, he realized the water hadturned to gold.

Sobbing, Midas collapsed on the floor and beggedthe gods for mercy. His tears fell like tiny goldenmarbles, which only made him cry harder.

I have learned my lesson! I was too greedy and ampunished for it. Now I know that riches cannot buyhappiness. Please take away all of this gold and letthings return to the way they were!


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The gods took pity on the pathetic king and took away theMidas touch—which was, after all, a curse rather than a gift.But just in case Midas forgot his own foolishness, the godsgave him a reminder. Two donkey ears sprouted from thetop of his head, and Midas never forgot his lesson.

Midas picked up a piece of bread and shoved it intohis mouth as quickly as he could. But he could notoutsmart his golden touch—as soon as the breadtouched his lips, it turned into a chunk of gold.

What is the use of having more gold thanApollo if I can’t even eat a piece of bread?I’ll be the richest, hungriest king in history!

Storming out of the banquet hall, Midas bumpedinto a servant. He turned to yell at the servant forgetting in his way but instead came face to facewith a life-sized golden statue.


Travelers came from far and wide to buy Pygmalion’smasterpieces. Pygmalion wished he could keep all ofhis statues, but he needed to earn his living.He was always sorry to part with astatue—he felt as if each one held alittle part of himself that he wouldnever see again. As talented asPygmalion was, he could nevermake the same statue twice. Ashe carved, each statue seemedto take on its own personality.

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Carved to PerfectionThe Story of Pygmalion


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On the island of Cyprus lived a sculptor named Pygmalion. Everyday, Pygmalion awoke before sunrise and carved statues until latein the evening. He chiseled and polished until the marble formslooked so lifelike that they seemed ready to spring from his hands.

Pygmalion spent all of his time by himself, except when peoplecame to buy his work. Pygmalion didn’t mind his solitarylifestyle. In fact, he preferred it because it allowed him to getmore work done. But one night he had a strange dream thatchanged everything. Pygmalion dreamed that he met a womanwho was more lovely, graceful, and kind than anyone he hadever known. He was so happy in his dream that when heawoke, Pygmalion felt lonely for the first time in his life.


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Each year the people of Cyprus celebrated the feast ofAphrodite, the goddess of love. Pygmalion had neverbeen interested in this particular feast, but this yearhe had an idea. Pygmalion traveled to the altar ofAphrodite and prayed that she would send him thewoman from his dream, the woman whose image hehad carved so perfectly.

He wondered about the woman in hisdream. Did she exist? Would he evermeet her? Sadly, Pygmalion realizedthat even if she did exist, the chanceswere small that he would ever find her.When Pygmalion picked up his toolsand began to carve, the image of thewoman was still in his mind. As hishands chiseled, the face from hisdream began to emerge from the marble.


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Pygmalion carved for days on end, stopping onlyfor a quick drink of water or a bite of food. Whenhe finished, he collapsed with exhaustion andadmired his work. There, standing before him, wasthe woman of his dreams. As Pygmalion gazed atthe statue, he felt that she was gazing right back athim. So lifelike was the statue, it looked as thoughit would step off the pedestal at any moment.

Pygmalion named the statue Galatea and broughther presents. He slipped golden rings upon herfingers and draped pearls around her neck, butshe did not smile as she had in his dream. He toldher witty jokes, but she did not laugh. He playedmusic for her, but she stood as still as ever. Hesadly realized that he could love this statue withall his heart, but the statue could bring him nohappiness. It would never love him in return.

When Pygmalion returned from thefeast, he held his breath and enteredhis home. The statue stood exactlywhere he had left it, as still and lifelessas ever. With a heavy heart, Pygmalionapproached the statue and took hercold hand in his. He decided it wouldbe best to part with the statue andleaned to kiss her hand good-bye.

At that moment, the marble handbecame as soft and warm as his own.Pygmalion looked up and saw hercheeks flush with color, her lips curveinto a smile, and her eyes shine withhappiness—she was alive! Still holdingher hand, Pygmalion helped Galateastep down from the pedestal. Aphrodite had heard his prayers and blessed the joyful couple as they embraced.


King Acrisius learned some very bad news when heconsulted an oracle: His daughter Danae would beara son who would kill him! Acrisius built a brasstower—with no doors and only a tiny slit for awindow—and imprisoned his daughterinside. This prison, however, did notprevent Zeus from visiting Danae. Hesimply transformed himself into a ray ofgolden light and slipped through thenarrow window. Since there was no wayinto or out of the tower, you canimagine how surprised Acrisius waswhen he heard a baby cryinginside!

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A Petrifying QuestThe Story of Perseus and Medusa

What’s that I hear?A baby? It’s impossible!

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In ancient times, kings were always worrying about the future.Would they fall from power? And if so, who would replace them?To find out the answers to their questions, the kings consultedoracles. If they learned bad news, they foolishly thought maybe—just maybe—they could try to change their fates. But fate is fate,and even the most powerful kings could not change it.

Suspecting that the gods might beinvolved, Acrisius did not dare to harmthe infant. Instead, he placed bothDanae and her baby in a large woodenchest and pushed them off into the seato fend for themselves. But the plandid not work as Acrisius intended. Thechest floated smoothly through theocean and soon landed safely on anisland. The king of the island, namedPolydectes, admired Danae and tookboth mother and son into his care.

There, there, baby Perseus, don’t cry.Your father, Zeus, will make sure thatwe are safe and sound.


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Perseus flew north until he reached a bleak, gloomy landscapethat was scattered with unusual rocks. As he flew down for acloser look, he realized this was Medusa’s territory. He couldsee that the strange-looking rocks had once been unluckypeople who had looked in the wrong direction.

Years passed, and Perseus grew into a noble young man.Unfortunately, King Polydectes was less than noble. He had asneaky plan to marry Danae and wanted to get her protectiveson out of the picture. Appealing to Perseus’s sense of braveryand adventure, the king challenged Perseus to fetch the headof Medusa. Perseus accepted and asked the gods for help.

Yikes! Isn’t Medusa the snake-hairedmonster who turns anyone who seesher into stone? Maybe my father,Zeus, will help me out.


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Since the gods favored Perseus, they equipped him for his quest.Hermes, the messenger god, visited Perseus and brought him gifts:winged sandals, a sickle-shaped sword, a shiny shield, a helmet that would make Perseus invisible, and some wise advice from Athena. With his new gear, Perseus set off.

Following Athena’s advice, Perseuslooked for Medusa in the reflectionof his shield. This way he would notview her directly and could resisther “petrifying” effect. Perseus soonfound Medusa fast asleep on a bed ofstones. He sneaked up quietly, butMedusa’s snake-hair awoke andbegan hissing furiously. As Medusabegan to stir in her sleep, Perseusraised his sword and swiftly choppedoff her head. Resisting the urge tolook, Perseus placed the still-hissinghead in a sack and headed home.

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And what ever happened to Acrisius, who was fated to die byPerseus’s hand? Later in life, Perseus became a famous discusthrower, whom sports fans traveled far and wide to watch. At atournament, Perseus accidentally threw a discus into the crowdswhere it hit and killed a spectator, none other than Acrisius. Ashard as he had tried, Acrisius could not change his destiny.

As he was flying home, Perseus spotted an unusual sight: a beautifulwoman chained to a cliff beside the ocean. This was Andromeda, whowas being sacrificed to a horrible sea monster in order to save her city.As he saw the monster emerge from the water, Perseus put on theinvisibility helmet and swooped down for a fight. Perseus killed themonster with one slash of his sword and then took off the helmet tointroduce himself to Andromeda. Surely this woman was destined tobe his wife, he thought.

Perseus to the rescue!I wonder if this lovelylady is single.


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Carrying Andromeda in his arms, Perseus arrived home justin time to halt the wedding that was planned for that day.Danae told Perseus how she was being forced to marryPolydectes. Perseus stormed to the castle and found him.Before Polydectes could get over his surprise at seeingPerseus still alive, Perseus pulled Medusa’s head from thesack and held it right before the king’s beady eyes.

Look, Polydectes! I brought youa little souvenir from my trip!


Menelaus was not going to put upwith this. He and the courageousleader Odysseus gathered forces inGreece, and they set out to bringHelen back. The Greeks landed onthe beaches of Troy, and a warbegan that would last ten longyears. After countless battlesinvolving some of the bravestwarriors of the time, andsometimes even the gods andgoddesses, the Greeks nevermade it inside the city walls.The soldiers longed to returnhome, but Odysseus wouldnot give up.

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The Mysterious HorseThe Story of the Trojan War

I’ve got a plan. We won’t even haveto fight our way into the city. In fact,the Trojans will carry us inside!

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What are we going to dothis time, Odysseus?Hypnotize them?


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The most beautiful woman in ancient Greece was the causeof one of the most terrible wars. This great beauty was Helen,queen of Sparta and wife of Menelaus. But that didn’t stopParis from kidnapping her and bringing her to his home inTroy. The Trojans welcomed Helen to her new home, andsoon she was known as Helen of Troy.

One morning, the Trojans were amazed to discover that theGreeks had gone home. The beaches were now deserted.Strangely enough, all that was left was an enormouswooden horse! The Trojans were puzzled by the strangehorse and debated about what should be done with it.

Let’s burn it.Those mischievousGreeks are probably up to oneof their tricks!

Perhaps they built it as a giftto the gods so they would begranted a safe trip home.

Let’s bring it inside the city.Maybe the gods will thinkwe built it for them, andwe’ll be blessed instead.


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The Greeks opened the city gates and signaled tothe rest of their army, who were on ships hiddenbehind an island. Soon the entire Greek armypoured into Troy, without even one Trojanawake to stop them.

The Trojans decided to bring the enormous, heavy horseinside the city walls for their victory celebration. Thehorse would serve as a pleasant reminder that theGreeks had surrendered to the mighty Trojans.


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After a swift victory, Menelaus brought Helen back toher home in Sparta. Little did the Greeks know thatsome of them would not make it home for a longtime. It would take Odysseus another ten years beforehe stepped foot in Greece. His return trip home,called the Odyssey, is a story unto itself.

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The joyful festivities lasted late into the night. When the last reveler had finallygone home to bed, a rumbling was heard in the horse’s belly. A small door opened,and Greek soldiers popped out of the gigantic hollow horse! The Trojans hadcarried the Greeks right into the center of Troy—just as Odysseus had promised.


Acrisius (a-KRIS-ee-us) Father of Danae;accidentally killed by his grandson, Perseus

Aegeus (ee-JEE-us) King of Athens; father ofTheseus

Althaea (al-THEE-uh) Mother of Meleager; killed herson by placing a cursed log in the fire

Andromeda (an-DROM-eh-dah) Maiden rescued byPerseus from a sea monster

Aphrodite (af-reh-DI-tee) Goddess of love; Venus(Roman)

Apollo (uh-PAH-loh) Sun god; son of Zeus and Leto;twin of Artemis; Sol, Hyperion, Phoebus, Helios(Roman)

Arachne (uh-RACK-nee) Young woman whocompeted in a weaving contest with Athena;turned into a spider by Athena

Ariadne (ar-ee-AD-nee) Daughter of King Minos;gave Theseus thread to help him escape from theLabyrinth

Artemis (AR-tuh-mis) Moon goddess and goddess ofthe hunt; daughter of Zeus and Leto; twin ofApollo; Diana (Roman)

Atalanta (at-uh-LAN-tuh) Huntress who helpedMeleager slay the Calydonian boar; marriedHippomenes after he outran her in a footrace

Athena (uh-THEE-nuh) Goddess of wisdom; turnedArachne into a spider; Minerva (Roman)

Cerberus (SER-ber-us) Three-headed guard dog ofthe Underworld

Charon (KAR-on) Boatman who carried souls to theUnderworld

Clymene (KLIM-eh-nee) Nymph; mother ofPhaethon

Cronos (CROH-nus) A Titan; son of Gaea andUranus; husband of Rhea; swallowed his childrenso they would not depose him; Saturn (Roman)

Cupid (KEW-pid) God of love; son of Aprhodite; fellin love with Psyche; also called Eros

Daedalus (DED-uh-lus) Inventor; father of Icarus;designed the Labyrinth and was imprisoned in it byKing Minos; escaped by building wings

Danae (DAN-ay-ee) Mother of Perseus; daughter ofAcrisius; imprisoned in a tower and visited by Zeus

Demeter (dee-MEE-tuhr) Goddess of the harvest;mother of Persephone; Ceres (Roman)

Echo (ECK-oh) Nymph and gossip; punished by Herato repeat the last words of others; fell in love withNarcissus

Epimetheus (ep-uh-MEE-thee-us) Husband ofPandora; brother of Prometheus

Eurydice (yu-RID-uh-see) Wife of Orpheus; died onher wedding day and was almost rescued from theUnderworld by Orpheus

Gaea (JEE-uh) Earth goddess; wife of Uranus;mother of Cronos and the other Titans

Galatea (gal-uh-TEE-uh) Statue carved byPygmalion and brought to life by Aphrodite

Hades (HAY-deez) God of the Underworld; kidnappedand married Persephone; Pluto (Roman)

Helen (HEL-en) Queen of Sparta; beautiful wife ofMenelaus; brought to Troy by Paris, starting theTrojan War

Hephaestus (heh-FEHS-tus) God of fire; son of Zeusand Hera; married to Aphrodite; Vulcan (Roman)

Hera (HEER-uh) Wife of Zeus; goddess of womenand motherhood; Juno (Roman)

Hermes (HER-meez) Messenger god; son of Zeus;Mercury (Roman)

Hestia (HES-tee-uh) Goddess of the hearth andhome; Vesta (Roman)

Hippomenes (hip-AHM-ih-neez) Suitor of Atalanta;won Atalanta’s hand in marriage by winning afootrace

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glossary and Pronunciaton Guide


Icarus (IK-uh-rus) Son of Daedalus; escaped fromthe Labyrinth but fell into the sea when his wingsmelted

Medusa (meh-DOO-sah) Snake-haired Gorgon whoturned onlookers to stone; slain by Perseus

Meleager (mel-ee-AY-juhr) Hunter of Calydonianboar; suitor of Atalanta; died when his motherplaced a cursed log in the fire

Menelaus (men-uh-LAY-us) King of Sparta; husbandof Helen; fought in the Trojan War

Midas (MY-das) Greedy king who could turneverything he touched to gold

Minos (MY-nahs) King of Crete; father of Ariadne;demanded Athenians to feed to the Minotaur;imprisoned Daedalus and Icarus in the Labyrinth

Minotaur (MIH-nuh-tor) Creature with the head of abull and the body of a man; kept in the Labyrinthby Minos; slain by Theseus

Narcissus (nar-SIS-us) Beautiful and vain youth whofell in love with his own reflection

Odysseus (oh-DIS-ee-us) Wise Greek leader duringthe Trojan War; Ulysses (Roman)

Oeneus (EE-nee-us) King of Calydon; father ofMeleager

Orpheus (OR-fee-us) Musician; attempted to rescuehis wife, Eurydice, from the Underworld

Pandora (pan-DOR-ah) First mortal female; wife ofEpimetheus; opened a box and released evils toplague humankind

Paris (PAR-is) Prince of Troy; kidnapped Helen andbrought her to Troy, starting the Trojan War

Persephone (per-SEF-uh-nee) Daughter of Demeter;kidnapped by Hades and brought to theUnderworld; Proserpine or Proserpina (Roman)

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Perseus (PUR-see-us) Son of Zeus and Danae;grandson of King Acrisius; beheaded Medusa;rescued and married Andromeda

Phaethon (FAY-uh-thun) Son of Apollo and Clymene;drove Apollo’s chariot off course and was killed byZeus

Polydectes (pol-uh-DEK-teez) King who attemptedto marry Danae; turned to stone by Perseus

Poseidon (poh-SY-duhn) God of the sea; Neptune(Roman)

Prometheus (pro-MEE-thee-us) God who disobeyedZeus by giving fire to humans; punished by havinghis liver pecked by an eagle

Psyche (SY-key) Wife of Cupid; disobeyed Cupid bylooking at him while he slept

Pygmalion (pig-MAIL-yun) Sculptor who fell in lovewith his statue, Galatea

Rhea (REE-uh) Wife of Cronos; mother of Zeus

Sisyphus (SIS-uh-fus) Man condemned in theUnderworld to push a boulder uphill for eternity

Tantalus (TAN-tuh-lus) Man punished in theUnderworld with eternal hunger and thirst

Theseus (THEE-see-us) Son of Aegeus; slew theMinotaur

Uranus (yoo-RAY-nus) The first and oldest god; godof the sky; husband of Gaea; father of Cronos andthe other Titans; overthrown by Cronos

Zeus (ZOOS) Son of Cronos and Rhea; overthrewCronos to become the ruler of heaven and earth;husband of Hera; Jove or Jupiter (Roman)

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15 greek myth mini-books

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