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MYTH
are stories about gods,

goddesses, and heroes passed
from one generation to another.
Many Greek myths have a great
deal of influence on our culture.
For ages, writers, artists, and
musicians have used mythological
characters as their inspiration.
By : Alice Low
The author of more than 25
books for children, Alice Low was
born in New York City in 1926. She
graduated from Smith College in
1947.
Low published her first works for
children while raising her own
three kids, and went on to
combine writing with jobs
producing educational
filmstrips, teaching creative
writing, and doing editing and
editorial consulting.
She has also volunteered at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Perhaps best-known for her
amusing fiction for young children
— including the popular The Witch
Who Was Afraid of Witches, which
she has since turned into a musical
— Low has also written nonfiction,
adapted myths and legends, and
selected works for anthologies.
1. A force or influence 1. noitarinsp
that inspires
someone (noun)
2. a musical instrument 2. rely
with strings. (noun)
3. to put into a 3. tranceden
trance(verb)
4. to express an 4. demnedcon
unfavorable (verb)
5. monedsum
5. to send or call for
(verb)
To what extent would you
use your strength to save
the person you love?
There were nine goddesses
called Muses. Born out of
Zeus and a Titan named
Mnemosyne, each muse
presided over a different art
of science.
Calliope, one
of these
sisters, was
the
inspiration of
poets and
musicians.
She was the mother of
Orpheus ( a mortal because
his father was one) and gave
to her son a remarkable
talent for music.
Orpheus
played his lyre
so sweetly that
he charmed all
things on earth.
Men and
women forgot
their cares
when gathered
around him to
listen.
Wild beast lay down
as they gathered
around him as if
they were tame,
entranced by his
soothing notes.
Even rocks and
trees followed him,
and the rivers
changed their
direction to hear
him play.
Orpheus loved a
young woman
named Eurydice, and
when they were
married, they looked
forward to many
years of happiness
together. But soon
after, Eurydice
stepped on a
poisonous snake and
died.
Orpheus
roamed the
earth, singing
sad melodies
to try to
overcome his
grief. But it
was no use.
He longed for
Eurydice so deeply
that he decided to
follow her to the
underworld. He said
to himself, “No
mortal has ever
been there before,
but I must try to
bring back my
beloved Eurydice.
He climbed
into a cave and
through a dark
passage that led
to the
underworld.
When he
reached the river
Styx, he plucked
his lyre again,
And Cerberus,
the fierce three
headed dog who
guarded the gates,
heard the sweet
music and lay still
to let him pass.
Orpheus
continued to play
his lyre tenderly as
he made his way
through the gloomy
underworld.
The ghosts
cried when
they heard
his sad
music.
Who had
been
condemned to
roll uphill
forever, stopped
his fruitless
work to listen.
Who had
been sentenced
to stand in a
pool of receding
water, stopped
trying to quench
his thirst.
And the
wheel to which
Ixion was tied
as punishment
stopped turning
for one
moment.
At last Orpheus
came to the
palace of
Hades and
Persephone,
King and
queen of the
underworld.
Before they could
order him to
leave; he began
his gentle song,
pleading for
Eurydice.
When stern Hades
heard Orpheus’
song, he began to
weep. Cold
Persephone was
so moved that for
the first time in all
her months in the
underworld, her
heart melted.
“Oh please,
my husband,”
she said to
Hades, “let
Eurydice be
reunited with
Orpheus”.
And Hades
replied, “I, too,
feel the sadness
of Orpheus. I
cannot refuse
him”.
They summoned
Eurydice, and
the two lovers
clasped each
other and
turned to leave.
“Wait!” said Hades
to Orpheus. “Eurydice
is yours to take back to
earth on one
condition”." “What is
that?” asked Orpheus
“She must follow
you, and you must not
look back at her until
you are on earth
again.” “I understand,
said Orpheus, and I
am forever grateful.”
Orpheus and Eurydice
left the underworld and
made their way through
the dark passage that led
to the upper world. At
last they reached the
cave through which
Orpheus had descended.
I can see the daylight
ahead” called Orpheus to
Eurydice. We are almost
there’ But Eurydice had
not heard him, and so
she did not answer.
Orpheus turned to
make sure that she
was still following him.
He caught one last
glimpse of her arms
stretched out to him.
And then she
disappeared,
swallowed by
darkness.
Farewell, he heard her
cry as she was carried
back to the underworld.
If you were Orpheus, would you
have looked back to see if
Eurydice was following? Why
or why not?
Orpheus tried to follow
her, but this time the
gods would not allow
it. And so he wandered
the earth alone. He
sang his sad songs to
the trees and longed
for the time when he,
too, would die and be
reunited with his
beloved Eurydice in
the underworld.
1. What was the greatest strength of Orpheus? What
was his weakness?
2. What effect did Orpheus’ music have on people and
gods? Cite two examples of this.
3. Why did Orpheus decide to rescue his wife from the
underworld?
4. What reasons might the gods have for allowing
Orpheus and Eurydice to be reunited?
5. Explain why the gods gave a condition to Orpheus
and to his bride to return to earth.
If you were Orpheus what will
you do to accept the
situation?
Group 1 Choose a song that best describes the
love of Orpheus for Eurydice and sing it.
Group 2 Pretend that you are Orpheus with
undying love for Eurydice, write a love letter
to her and read it.
Group 3 Act out your favorite part in the story.
Group 4 Create a slogan for the theme of the
story.
Group 5 Write a new ending for the story
CREATIVITY 25
DELIVERY 25
CONTENT 25
TEAMWORK 25
TOTAL 100

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MYTH

are stories about gods,

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