Hello.
This is SD Hudson.
Welcome to my story series,
Myths and Legends.
Are you ready?
Then sit back,
Relax and listen as I transport you back to another time and another place.
At Alanta's Race Once upon a time on the warm island of Cyprus in a beautiful garden tended by Venus,
The goddess of love,
There grew a thick,
Ripe apple tree.
It had yellow branches and yellow leaves and its apples were glittering gold.
It was a most beautiful tree and unusual.
And in the days when it gave fruit,
A beautiful girl called Atalanta lived nearby.
Men had only to see her to fall in love with Atalanta.
But she had made a promise to herself never to marry.
Every day young men pestered her to change her mind,
But she grew so tired of their wishes and declared,
I will only marry the man who can race against me and who can win.
But anyone who tries and fails must agree to die.
Despite such a risk,
There were so many men wishing to race Atalanta to win her hand in marriage.
But Atalanta could run like the wind.
She was so fast,
As fast as the winds blew.
Each runner tried and tried,
But they always came in behind her.
Then one day a young man arrived and his name was Hippomenes.
He had heard of Atalanta's races,
But thought any boy who would throw his life away on such a silly dare must be stupid.
But one day when Atalanta streaked past him brown and fast as a darting bird,
He knew at once he must race for her,
Despite what he had thought before.
When Atalanta saw Hippomenes,
She decided she did not want him to challenge her in a race.
He was far too handsome and far too young to die.
She almost wanted him to win,
But no,
She had sworn never to marry.
On the day of the race,
A crowd gathered impatient for the race to begin,
But Atalanta kept them waiting.
She didn't want Hippomenes to race,
And she was fretting about the result.
Hippomenes said his prayers.
Oh,
Venus,
He prayed,
You plainly made me love this woman,
So help me to win her.
Then Venus heard him.
She agreed with Atalanta.
Hippomenes was far too young and handsome to die.
So Venus picked from the tree in the Cypress garden three golden apples and gave them to him.
Now he was ready for the race.
Ready,
Steady,
Go!
Cried the starter,
And away went Hippomenes as fast as he had ever gone.
Then Atalanta followed quick as a blink,
And soon she took the lead.
Seeing her rush ahead of him,
Hippomenes threw one golden apple beyond her over her head,
And it caught the light.
Atalanta went to where it lay and picked it up,
And Hippomenes sped ahead of her.
But Atalanta was so fast she soon caught him up again,
And as she passed him,
Her hair blowing like the wind,
He ran faster than any of the other suitors,
But he was just not fast enough.
So Hippomenes threw another of the apples.
Again Atalanta stopped to pick it up,
And again Hippomenes took the lead.
But Atalanta was so fast she had time to stop and admire the shiny apples,
And still catch him up again.
There was nothing for it.
Hippomenes must throw the third apple.
Would Atalanta be fooled by the trick a third time?
She glanced at the two apples in her hand and stopped for the third.
And at last Hippomenes took his chance.
He dashed past her,
His lungs bursting and threw himself over the winning line.
Hooray!
He shouted.
He had won his bride.
And Atalanta,
Clutching the three golden apples,
Was quite happy to lose the race for the first time and was extremely happy that such a clever man had won her heart at last.
The End Thank you for listening.
I hope you enjoyed this story.
If you did,
Please consider listening to my Tales of the New World.
Fantasy stories of an anthropomorphic haven high at the top of Motherby Hill.
