A/N: Hello. Widow Shark here. This is a story that I wrote in my tenth
grade mythology class. I was looking through my files for another story
when I found this. It is mostly unchanged, just revised a little.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the gods and/or goddesses named in this story. I only own the idea for the character Anastasios.
Now on with the story.
How Butterflies Came to Be
This is the story of Anastasios, a princess of Athens whose name means "spring". Anastasios was as pretty as the flowers. She had fair skin. Her eyes were a crystal-clear blue and she had long, flowing, golden hair, which caught the attention of Zeus, who had, as always, fallen in love. Hera discovered what her husband was up to with the help of her prized peacocks, which roamed the courtyards of Anastasios' palace.
Later that night, after Zeus had returned to Mount Olympus, Hera appeared on earth to punish the naive young maiden who thought the disguised god was only a handsome suitor. She waited until Anastastios was asleep and then turned her into an ugly worm with fifty pairs of legs. Then she picked it up with a look of disgust on her face and flung it into a forest, which was sacred to the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite.
When the maids came in to check on the princess in the morning they discovered, to their horror, that Anastasios was missing. They searched all over the palace grounds, but could find no trace of her.
Aphrodite, who had seen everything, found the poor worm Hera had dropped into the forest. She knew what had happened to the poor girl, another pawn of Hera's jealousy. She suddenly had an idea. Although she could not change her back into her true form, she could give Anastasios back her beauty. She set the ugly, brown worm back on the branch of the tree she found it on and went to see Somnus, the god of sleep. She arrived a moment later.
"I have a favor to ask of you dear Somnus," she said
"Ask away daughter of Zeus," said Somnus in reply.
"Another innocent girl has been punished by Hera, she has been turned into an ugly, brown worm with fifty pairs of legs and I was hoping to give her back her beauty, but I need her to sleep for six months while I work. I was just wondering if you could help me?" asked the goddess of love.
"I can help you. Take this small, silken square made out of pure silver and wrap the worm inside of it and stitch it up tight. It will fall asleep instantly. Then hang it from a tree branch with the extra string."
Aphrodite gave her thanks to Somnus and hurried back to Anastasios and wrapped her in the silky, silver square. It worked just as he had said. Then Aphrodite began to work. She gave the worm colorful wings, a slender body, and turned the fifty pairs of legs into only three pairs. She also gave the colorful wings eyes so she would be able to spy on Hera.
The next spring, after all of the changes had been made, the once ugly, brown worm with fifty pairs of legs emerged from the small, silvery, silken sack as a plump creature with crumpled, wet wings. Hera saw this and laughed, her work could not be undone. Then the wings started to dry and spread out and they shimmered brightly under the warm sun. The fat body of the creature was thin and there were only three pairs of legs. Aphrodite saw that everything had turned out okay and laughed at Hera for being so vain and jealous. As soon as the wings of the magnificent, little creature finished drying, Anastasios flew far away and drank the sweet nectar from the buttercup flower.
"I almost forgot to name this new creature," thought Aphrodite. "Since the first flower she drunk nectar from was a buttercup, I will call it a butterfly."
This is how butterflies came in existence to our world.
The End
Well, I hope you enjoyed my story. Please be a gem and review! }ยก{ ( it's a butterfly. : )
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the gods and/or goddesses named in this story. I only own the idea for the character Anastasios.
Now on with the story.
How Butterflies Came to Be
This is the story of Anastasios, a princess of Athens whose name means "spring". Anastasios was as pretty as the flowers. She had fair skin. Her eyes were a crystal-clear blue and she had long, flowing, golden hair, which caught the attention of Zeus, who had, as always, fallen in love. Hera discovered what her husband was up to with the help of her prized peacocks, which roamed the courtyards of Anastasios' palace.
Later that night, after Zeus had returned to Mount Olympus, Hera appeared on earth to punish the naive young maiden who thought the disguised god was only a handsome suitor. She waited until Anastastios was asleep and then turned her into an ugly worm with fifty pairs of legs. Then she picked it up with a look of disgust on her face and flung it into a forest, which was sacred to the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite.
When the maids came in to check on the princess in the morning they discovered, to their horror, that Anastasios was missing. They searched all over the palace grounds, but could find no trace of her.
Aphrodite, who had seen everything, found the poor worm Hera had dropped into the forest. She knew what had happened to the poor girl, another pawn of Hera's jealousy. She suddenly had an idea. Although she could not change her back into her true form, she could give Anastasios back her beauty. She set the ugly, brown worm back on the branch of the tree she found it on and went to see Somnus, the god of sleep. She arrived a moment later.
"I have a favor to ask of you dear Somnus," she said
"Ask away daughter of Zeus," said Somnus in reply.
"Another innocent girl has been punished by Hera, she has been turned into an ugly, brown worm with fifty pairs of legs and I was hoping to give her back her beauty, but I need her to sleep for six months while I work. I was just wondering if you could help me?" asked the goddess of love.
"I can help you. Take this small, silken square made out of pure silver and wrap the worm inside of it and stitch it up tight. It will fall asleep instantly. Then hang it from a tree branch with the extra string."
Aphrodite gave her thanks to Somnus and hurried back to Anastasios and wrapped her in the silky, silver square. It worked just as he had said. Then Aphrodite began to work. She gave the worm colorful wings, a slender body, and turned the fifty pairs of legs into only three pairs. She also gave the colorful wings eyes so she would be able to spy on Hera.
The next spring, after all of the changes had been made, the once ugly, brown worm with fifty pairs of legs emerged from the small, silvery, silken sack as a plump creature with crumpled, wet wings. Hera saw this and laughed, her work could not be undone. Then the wings started to dry and spread out and they shimmered brightly under the warm sun. The fat body of the creature was thin and there were only three pairs of legs. Aphrodite saw that everything had turned out okay and laughed at Hera for being so vain and jealous. As soon as the wings of the magnificent, little creature finished drying, Anastasios flew far away and drank the sweet nectar from the buttercup flower.
"I almost forgot to name this new creature," thought Aphrodite. "Since the first flower she drunk nectar from was a buttercup, I will call it a butterfly."
This is how butterflies came in existence to our world.
The End
Well, I hope you enjoyed my story. Please be a gem and review! }ยก{ ( it's a butterfly. : )