Young Adults

Stories for the Young Adults age group:

• Orpheus and Eurydice Jul 28, 2025

  

  Orpheus and Eurydice

  In ancient Greece, when gods still walked among mortals and music was believed to have the power to move mountains, there lived a man named Orpheus, son of the Muse Calliope and either Apollo or the Thracian king Oeagrus, depending on which tales you believe. What is not disputed is that Orpheus possessed a gift for music unmatched by any mortal before or since.

• Pandora's Box Jul 28, 2025

  

  Pandora’s Box

  In the early days of creation, when humans had just begun to populate the earth, they lived in a state of innocence and harmony. Pain, sickness, and death were unknown to them, and their days passed in blissful ignorance of suffering. This was the time before Pandora opened her infamous “box”—which was actually a large storage jar or pithos in the original Greek tales.

• Perseus and Medusa Jul 28, 2025

  

  Perseus and Medusa

  In the ancient kingdom of Argos, a prophecy hung like a dark cloud over the royal house. King Acrisius had been told by the Oracle of Delphi that he would one day be killed by his daughter’s son. Terrified of this fate, the king locked his only daughter, the beautiful Danaë, in a bronze chamber beneath the earth, ensuring she would never marry or bear children.

• Prometheus and the Gift of Fire Jul 28, 2025

  

  Prometheus and the Gift of Fire

  In the time before time, when the world was young and the reign of the Olympian gods still new, there lived a Titan named Prometheus. Unlike most of his kin who had fought against Zeus in the great war for control of the cosmos, Prometheus had sided with the Olympians, helping them achieve victory over the other Titans. For this, he was spared imprisonment in the gloomy pit of Tartarus where his brothers languished.

• The Punishment of Prometheus Jul 28, 2025

  

  In the earliest days of the world, when the earth was young and humanity was still learning to walk upright, there lived among the immortals a Titan whose heart burned with compassion for mortals. His name was Prometheus, which means “forethought,” and he possessed the rare gift of seeing not just what was, but what could be.

  Prometheus was tall and noble, with eyes that held the wisdom of ages and hands that were skilled in crafting and creating. Unlike many of the immortals who looked upon humans as amusing pets or insignificant creatures, Prometheus saw their potential for greatness. He watched them struggle in their early days and felt moved by their determination to survive and grow.

• The Twelve Labors of Heracles Jul 28, 2025

  

  The Twelve Labors of Heracles

  In the golden age of heroes, when gods walked among mortals and monsters roamed the earth, there lived a man of extraordinary strength and courage—Heracles, son of Zeus, king of the gods, and Alcmene, a mortal woman.

  From birth, Heracles was destined for greatness, yet cursed by the jealousy of Hera, Zeus’s divine wife. As an infant, he strangled two serpents sent by the goddess to kill him in his crib. As he grew, his strength and skills became legendary throughout Greece. Yet for all his power, Heracles lacked one thing—wisdom to temper his might.

• Theseus and the Minotaur Jul 28, 2025

  

  Theseus and the Minotaur

  Long ago, in the ancient city of Athens, a somber procession wound its way through the narrow streets toward the harbor. Seven young men and seven maidens, all wearing white robes symbolizing their sacrifice, walked with measured steps as their families wept openly behind them. This was the terrible tribute Athens paid to King Minos of Crete every nine years—fourteen of their finest youth sent to face certain death in the Labyrinth, home to the monstrous Minotaur.

• The Abduction of Persephone Jul 27, 2025

  

  In the golden age when the world was young and eternal spring blessed the earth, there lived a goddess whose very presence made flowers bloom and crops flourish. Her name was Demeter, and she was the goddess of harvest, grain, and the fertility of the earth. With hair like ripened wheat and eyes the color of rich soil, Demeter possessed the power to make the earth green and abundant.

• The Jew Among Thorns Jul 27, 2025

  

  Once upon a time, there lived a poor but honest young man named Hans who worked as a servant for a wealthy merchant. Hans was known throughout the village for his diligent work and kind heart, though he possessed little in the way of worldly goods.

  For three years, Hans served his master faithfully, working from dawn to dusk without complaint. When his term of service was complete, his master was well pleased with his work.

• The Myth of Narcissus Jul 27, 2025

  

  The Myth of Narcissus

  In the verdant hills of Boeotia, a region of ancient Greece known for its fertile lands and clear waters, there lived a young man of such extraordinary beauty that all who beheld him were immediately captivated. His name was Narcissus, the son of the river god Cephissus and the nymph Liriope. From the moment of his birth, it was clear that this child possessed beauty beyond the ordinary measure of mortals—eyes as blue and clear as the summer sky, hair that gleamed like spun gold in the sunlight, and features so perfectly proportioned they might have been sculpted by divine hands.

• The Story of Thach Sanh Jul 27, 2025

  

  In the dense forests that bordered the ancient kingdom of Vietnam, there lived a poor woodcutter named Thach Sanh. He was an orphan who had grown up alone in the wilderness, learning to survive by his wits and the kindness of the forest creatures. Though his clothes were patched and worn, and his hut was made of simple bamboo and leaves, Thach Sanh possessed something far more valuable than gold—a heart pure as mountain spring water and courage as steadfast as the ancient trees he worked among.

• The Titanomachy Jul 26, 2025

  

  In the time before time, when the world was ruled by powers older than memory, there arose a conflict so vast and terrible that it shook the very foundations of creation. This was the Titanomachy—the War of the Titans—a ten-year battle that would determine who would rule the cosmos and shape the fate of gods and mortals alike.

  To understand this great war, we must first look back to the beginning, when Cronus, mightiest of the Titans, ruled over all creation from his throne of starlight and shadow.