The Three Golden Apples is a short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The story is a retelling of a Greek myth about the hero Hercules and his quest to retrieve three golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides. The story begins with Hercules being sent on this mission by King Eurystheus as one of his twelve labors. Hercules sets out on his journey and eventually comes across a beautiful garden where the apples are kept. However, the garden is guarded by a serpent who refuses to let Hercules pass. In order to get past the serpent, Hercules enlists the help of the goddess Athena who gives him a shield to use against the serpent. Hercules is able to defeat the serpent and retrieve the apples, but he is then faced with another challenge. The goddess Hera sends a strong wind to blow him off course and he becomes lost. In the end, he is helped by the nymphs who guide him back to his original path and he is able to complete his task. The story is a classic example of Greek mythology and features themes of heroism, bravery, and perseverance.THIS 38 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: A Wonder-Book for Boys and Girls, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 0766196798.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.