The Three Golden Apples
In a time long past, tales of golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides captivated many, though few believed in their existence. Young adventurers sought these mythical fruits, often meeting perilous fates, as a fierce dragon with a hundred heads guarded them. One such hero, weary of his tumultuous life, embarked on a quest for the apples, driven by a command from his cruel cousin, a king. As he journeyed through Italy, he encountered beautiful maidens by a river who were astonished by his quest. They warned him of the dragon but were impressed by his strength and past exploits. The hero, revealing himself as Hercules, shared tales of his legendary battles, including slaying serpents as a baby and defeating formidable monsters. The maidens, enchanted by his stories, crowned him with flowers and directed him to seek the Old Man of the Sea for guidance. Hercules followed their advice and soon found the Old Man asleep on the shore. Upon waking, the Old Man transformed into various creatures to escape Hercules's grip, but the hero held fast. Eventually, the Old Man revealed the way to the garden and warned Hercules of the challenges ahead, including a giant who held up the sky. Hercules continued his journey, facing numerous trials, including battling a giant who grew stronger with each blow. After overcoming this foe, he reached the ocean and discovered a massive golden cup floating on the waves, which he used to cross to an island where the giant Atlas resided. Atlas, burdened by the sky, agreed to fetch the golden apples for Hercules if the hero would hold up the sky in his absence. Hercules, despite his initial hesitation, accepted the challenge. Atlas, relieved of his burden, joyfully retrieved the apples but was reluctant to return the sky to Hercules. The hero, feeling the weight of the sky pressing down on him, cleverly tricked Atlas into taking the burden back for just a moment to adjust his lion's skin. Once Atlas complied, Hercules seized the opportunity to reclaim the apples and set off homeward, leaving the giant to his eternal task. Thus, Hercules returned, triumphant with the golden apples, while Atlas remained a mountain, forever associated with the weight he bore. The tale illustrates themes of strength, cunning, and the burdens of responsibility, encapsulating the essence of heroism in a world filled with mythical challenges.
By Nathaniel Hawthorne · First published 1842 · Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Mythology · 8,508 words
First lines
Did you ever hear of the golden apples, that grew in the garden of the Hesperides? Ah, those were such apples as would bring a great price, by the bushel, if any of them could be found growing in the orchards of nowadays! But there is not, I suppose, a graft of that wonderful fruit on a single tree in the wide world. Not so much as a seed of those apples exists any longer.
What this Textopian page supports
The Three Golden Apples is listed on Textopian as a novella by Nathaniel Hawthorne, dated 1842 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novella
- Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Date: 1842 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Mythology, Fable, Children's Literature
- Length: 8,508 words
- Structure: 1 section, 113 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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- Work identity for The Three Golden Apples by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Three Golden Apples?
- How does this novella by Nathaniel Hawthorne fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fantasy first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Mandarin And The Butterfly by L. Frank Baum
- Circes Palace by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- The Awakening Of The Saw Horse by L. Frank Baum
- The Unruly Sprite Half Told Tales by Henry Van Dyke
- The Dragons Teeth by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- The Cat That Walked By Himself by Rudyard Kipling
Genres
- Fantasy — The story involves mythical elements, including gods, dragons, and magical transformations, characteristic of the fantasy genre.
- Adventure — The protagonist, Hercules, embarks on a quest to retrieve the golden apples, facing various challenges and adventures along the way.
- Mythology — The narrative is rooted in classical mythology, specifically the tales of Hercules and the garden of the Hesperides.
- Fable — The story conveys moral lessons through the character's experiences and interactions, typical of fables.
Tags
Fable · Mythology · Symbolism · Allegory · Morality · Tale · Fantasy · Literary Fiction · American Literature · 19th Century Literature · Classic Novel · Coming of Age