Aphrodite the Beauty (Goddess Girls) by Joan Holub Page B
Authors: Joan Holub
Tags: Fiction, General, Children's Books, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Ages 9-12 Fiction, Science Fiction; Fantasy; & Magic, Social Issues, Love & Romance, Children: Grades 4-6, Girls & Women, Friendship, School & Education, love, Schools, Legends; Myths; Fables, Social Issues - Friendship, Legends; Myths; & Fables - Greek & Roman, Gods; Greek, Mythology; Greek, Greek & Roman, Beauty; Personal, Goddesses; Greek, Aphrodite (Greek deity), Atalanta (Greek mythology)
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you need some help with your homework?" Aphrodite offered.
Athena looked hopeful. "Really?"
"Sure, what are friends for?"
Athena smiled at her. "Thanks. And I'm sorry about your chiton. I'll buy you a new one."
"You keep it." Aphrodite waved her hand dismissively. "I've got more chitons than I can ever wear. Besides, Ares was right about one thing. It does look better on you than on me."
Catching sight of the bracelet on Aphrodite's wrist, Athena exclaimed. "Ooh! That's gorgeous! Where did you get it?"
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Aphrodite rubbed a finger over the engraved rosebuds. "Hephaestus gave it to me," she confessed. "I shouldn't have accepted it though. I'm going to give it back."
"But it's so beautiful," Athena protested.
"Yes," said Aphrodite, "but it would be wrong to keep it. I'm pretty sure he gave it to me because he's hoping I'll be his girlfriend."
Athena frowned in genuine confusion. "So a girl has to like a boy as more than a friend, just because he gives her a gift?"
"Not always," said Aphrodite, amused. Boy-girl relationships might baffle her sometimes, but it was obvious that Athena knew far less than she did! "It kind of depends on the boy and the gift."
Athena eyed the bracelet longingly. "Well, I'd be
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tempted to keep it. Any girl would--mortal or immortal."
At her words, something clicked in Aphrodite's brain. "That's it!" she exclaimed. "I know how to help Hippomenes win his race!"
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9 The Race
ATALANTA--I'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT MAIDEN," Athena said when Aphrodite finished telling her all about Hippomenes and Atalanta and the plan she'd just come up with to help them. "Her fame as a runner is all over the school." She paused. "Are you sure she wants to marry your Hippomenes?"
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"Definitely," said Aphrodite, remembering Atalanta's tears.
"But where are you going to find apples made of gold by tomorrow?" asked Athena. "I've never seen any around here."
Aphrodite grinned. "I'm going to ask Hephaestus for help."
Not long afterward, she tracked him down as he was leaving the cafeteria. "Hephaestus. Wait up!" she called to him. Even though she'd been rude in the grove, he still smiled broadly when he saw her and waited near the door. When she caught up with him, she slipped the gold bracelet off her wrist. "I decided I can't keep it after all," she said apologetically. "But thanks for letting me borrow it."
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His face fell as he took the bracelet from her. She could tell he was trying hard to hide his hurt feelings. "No problem."
Aphrodite felt terrible. But it wasn't her fault that her heart didn't beat for Hephaestus. She smiled brightly, hoping to cheer him up. "It's so beautiful I didn't want to give it up. But you should keep it. Someday you might want to give it to your future wife." She sat down on a bench in the hallway outside the cafeteria and motioned for him to sit beside her.
"But I was hoping a girlfriend might want to wear it in the meantime," he said softly.
Aphrodite gulped. Poor Hephaestus. He was probably the nicest godboy she knew. In an effort to comfort him, she said, "Don't worry. I'm sure the right goddessgirl will come along soon." She could only hope she spoke
127
the truth. Then it dawned on her. She could help him find just the right girl. But first things first. Changing the subject, she said, "Hippomenes's race is tomorrow. You said I should ask if there was anything you could do to help." She paused. "Is your offer still open?"
"Of course," Hephaestus said readily.
She told him her plan.
"That's brilliant," he said. "How many apples do you want me to make?"
"Three should do the trick," said Aphrodite. "I hope so anyway."
Hephaestus nodded, then rose from the bench. "I'll get started now. That way they'll be ready for you first thing tomorrow morning."
"Thanks." She stood and gave him a hug. "You're a true friend."
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He smiled at her, turning a little pink. "I guess I can settle for that."
Aphrodite returned his smile. She hoped she could find a
Athena looked hopeful. "Really?"
"Sure, what are friends for?"
Athena smiled at her. "Thanks. And I'm sorry about your chiton. I'll buy you a new one."
"You keep it." Aphrodite waved her hand dismissively. "I've got more chitons than I can ever wear. Besides, Ares was right about one thing. It does look better on you than on me."
Catching sight of the bracelet on Aphrodite's wrist, Athena exclaimed. "Ooh! That's gorgeous! Where did you get it?"
122
Aphrodite rubbed a finger over the engraved rosebuds. "Hephaestus gave it to me," she confessed. "I shouldn't have accepted it though. I'm going to give it back."
"But it's so beautiful," Athena protested.
"Yes," said Aphrodite, "but it would be wrong to keep it. I'm pretty sure he gave it to me because he's hoping I'll be his girlfriend."
Athena frowned in genuine confusion. "So a girl has to like a boy as more than a friend, just because he gives her a gift?"
"Not always," said Aphrodite, amused. Boy-girl relationships might baffle her sometimes, but it was obvious that Athena knew far less than she did! "It kind of depends on the boy and the gift."
Athena eyed the bracelet longingly. "Well, I'd be
123
tempted to keep it. Any girl would--mortal or immortal."
At her words, something clicked in Aphrodite's brain. "That's it!" she exclaimed. "I know how to help Hippomenes win his race!"
124
9 The Race
ATALANTA--I'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT MAIDEN," Athena said when Aphrodite finished telling her all about Hippomenes and Atalanta and the plan she'd just come up with to help them. "Her fame as a runner is all over the school." She paused. "Are you sure she wants to marry your Hippomenes?"
125
"Definitely," said Aphrodite, remembering Atalanta's tears.
"But where are you going to find apples made of gold by tomorrow?" asked Athena. "I've never seen any around here."
Aphrodite grinned. "I'm going to ask Hephaestus for help."
Not long afterward, she tracked him down as he was leaving the cafeteria. "Hephaestus. Wait up!" she called to him. Even though she'd been rude in the grove, he still smiled broadly when he saw her and waited near the door. When she caught up with him, she slipped the gold bracelet off her wrist. "I decided I can't keep it after all," she said apologetically. "But thanks for letting me borrow it."
126
His face fell as he took the bracelet from her. She could tell he was trying hard to hide his hurt feelings. "No problem."
Aphrodite felt terrible. But it wasn't her fault that her heart didn't beat for Hephaestus. She smiled brightly, hoping to cheer him up. "It's so beautiful I didn't want to give it up. But you should keep it. Someday you might want to give it to your future wife." She sat down on a bench in the hallway outside the cafeteria and motioned for him to sit beside her.
"But I was hoping a girlfriend might want to wear it in the meantime," he said softly.
Aphrodite gulped. Poor Hephaestus. He was probably the nicest godboy she knew. In an effort to comfort him, she said, "Don't worry. I'm sure the right goddessgirl will come along soon." She could only hope she spoke
127
the truth. Then it dawned on her. She could help him find just the right girl. But first things first. Changing the subject, she said, "Hippomenes's race is tomorrow. You said I should ask if there was anything you could do to help." She paused. "Is your offer still open?"
"Of course," Hephaestus said readily.
She told him her plan.
"That's brilliant," he said. "How many apples do you want me to make?"
"Three should do the trick," said Aphrodite. "I hope so anyway."
Hephaestus nodded, then rose from the bench. "I'll get started now. That way they'll be ready for you first thing tomorrow morning."
"Thanks." She stood and gave him a hug. "You're a true friend."
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He smiled at her, turning a little pink. "I guess I can settle for that."
Aphrodite returned his smile. She hoped she could find a
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