Mother: Do you remember when you were born?
Cercis: Yes, I remember when you told me. I was born in a house....
Mother: No, Cercis, you were born outside on a blanket, with sheep grazing nearby and people working.
Cercis: Oh!
Mother: Now that we're done talking about that I need you to know that Vesta is actually a goddess in disguise.
Artemis: Cercis, you need to go on a journey and halfway there Aphrodite will meet you, and she will give you 3 tasks.
Mother: Why does she have to do these tasks?
Artemis: Because she told us she wanted to prove herself worthy.
Mother: Is that right, Cercis?
Cercis: Yes, mom, that is right.
Artemis: Are you ready to go?
Cercis: Yes, I’m ready to start my journey. Bye, mom.
Cercis: Now what? I’m lost!
Artemis: Can’t find your way? Aphrodite and I will help guide you.
Aphrodite: I’ve made the tasks and you must complete them. That is if you want a reward. But first we will travel to the city with you.
Artemis: There you will meet the king and...
Cercis: That’s nice, but can I just start my tasks? I really want to get home, to my Mother.
Aphrodite: All right, but I can’t give you them here. You must journey to my temple. It’s a two day walk to the North. Good Luck!
Cercis: You can’t leave me alone in the woods!
Artemis: Of course not, I’m staying with you. The creatures of the woods belong to me, so they will not come near us.
Cercis: I’m spending two days in the woods with a goddess. My life has become very weird.
Robber: It’s about to get stranger. Stick ’em up!
Artemis: I’d rather not.
Robber: Who are you to not?
Artemis: The goddess Artemis.
Robber: Yeah right, prove it! Ahhhh!!
Artemis: Why don’t I zap us up to the temple?
Cercis: O.K.
Aphrodite: Do you want to know your first task?
Cercis: Yes, I do.
Aphrodite: Your first task is to find a diamond stolen from the goddess Hera. Once you get it you will return it.
Circes: What would happen if I didn’t return it on time?
Artemis & Aphrodite: (look at each other, look back) You don’t want to know.
Aphrodite: But if it is not returned to her by the next full moon all is lost. Go now, both of you! Artemis will protect you from any danger.
Cercis: Thank you! I will see you back here and we will go return the diamond.
Artemis: I will watch her carefully, see you soon!
(Later)
Artemis: Be careful Cercis, I sense something bad is going to happen.
Cercis: I’ll be fine, nothing is going to happen.
Hades: Hi, ladies, how are you today?
Cercis: Fine, thank you, old man.
Hades: Foolish girls, it is me, Hades!
Cercis: Ahhhh!
Artemis: It looks like Aphrodite forgot to tell us that Hades was around here. Cercis, you must outsmart Hades some how.
Cercis: What shall we do to outsmart him, Artemis?
Artemis: Sorry! You must think of a plan by yourself. I can’t help you any more.
Cercis: I know! We can pretend to be different goddesses!
Artemis: You are very smart!
Cercis: Hades, you have been very bad. We are goddesses in disguise to find bad people. If you are bad again then we will take you to prison. I’m the god Orora.
Artemis: So don’t make us come after you or you'll be sorry. And I’m the god Sthena.
Hades: Oh, I’m so sorry, I had no idea. So sorry, gods Orora and Sthena. Very sorry.
(Bowing whole time)
Cercis and Artemis: We did it!
Artemis: You did very well, thinking so fast.
Cercis: Thank you.
Aphrodite: Cercis, I have come to tell you that was one of your tasks that came by surprise. You did very well. Now you can continue you task for the diamond.
Cercis: Yes, now I can go on my way, being happy!
Artemis: So can I. I’m very happy for you and how well you handled it.
Cercis: Look at that dark place up on the hill.
Artemis: Yes, that is home of Seracles, a very bad man. He would be the one who has the diamond. You will have to battle him for the diamond.
Cercis: Oh.
Artemis: Although he likes making bets, too.
Cercis: Good, I'd rather do that than fight. Because I don’t feel ready yet.
Seracles: What do you want?
Cercis: I want to make a bet with you.
Seracles: Ok! You must sit in one spot for two and a half days, then you will get -
Cercis: The diamond! Right!
Seracles: Fine deal.
Cercis: Wait! I must talk to Artemis about it first. Artemis, the full moon is on the third day and we have traveled so far. How will we ever make it back in time?
Artemis: Do it. We will make it back in time. Trust me.
Cercis: I hope you're right.
[2 and a half days later.]
Cercis: Seracles, I have stayed here for 2 and a half days. So let me have the diamond.
Seracles: I was sure you would move, but you didn’t. So I can not go back on my word. Here's the diamond.
Cercis: Hurry, Artemis, we must go quickly!
Aphrodite: You have completed your task, so that diamond will be delivered right away to Hera.
Cercis: Thank you so much, Aphrodite! I thought I would never make it in time.
Aphrodite: The risk you took to get the diamond back to Hera in time was amazing. So that is why it's back safely with Hera.
Cercis: But you did get it there right away. So you have been very helpful.
Artemis: You both did very well with the diamond, especially you Cercis, how you trusted me. Because of that the diamond was returned by Aphrodite in a flash.
Cercis: Thanks, both of you, for helping with my task.
Aphrodite: It was mostly you, Cercis.
Cercis: Well, I guess that's true, but still you helped just a little.
Aphrodite: Would you like to know your next task?
Cercis: Yes, I would.
Aphrodite: You must go and find a silver flute that is hidden under one of these trees. Be careful! There are many evil spirits which will try to scare you, but they cannot touch or hurt you. Now go!
Cercis: But it’s so dark. How am I supposed to see my hand in front of my face!
Artemis: Look, here is a lantern. That should help us see better. By Aphrodite, I will help her through the evil spirits.
Aphrodite: Good luck.
Cercis: How am I supposed to find the silver flute? Look beneath each and every one of these trees?
Artemis: That’s not a bad idea!
Cercis: Oh no! You expect me to look under each one of these trees? Ok, this is the 3,000th tree I looked under. Nope, not under this one! What about this one? Nope! Wait, there it is!
Artemis: Good! Now let's go back to the temple.
Aphrodite (appears): Let me take that for you before something or someone takes it without you knowing it.
Hades: Cercis!
Cercis: We meet again, Hades!
Cercis: I must prove worthy to the gods and goddesses.
Hades: I will destroy you and bring you down to the underworld to suffer.
Cercis: I challenge you to a sword fight, and if I win you leave me alone for ever.
Hades: And if you lose the fight you go to the underworld to stay.
Cercis: Let's fight.
(They fight)
Hades: YEA! YEA! YEA! I won, you fool.
Cercis: I challenge you to another fight, and if I win I can go free.
(They fight)
Hades: This is impossible. I lost!
Cercis: YEA! YEA! YEA! I won.
Artemis & Aphrodites: YEA! Cercis.
Hades: You won. Go now, before I change my mind! Take this sword. Zeus made it himself.
Cercis: Thank you, I better be going home now.
The End
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