im; he heard her quick breath as she gained on him
very fast. Then he threw one of the golden apples over his shoulder.

Now, if there was anything in the world that Atalanta admired, it was a
bright stone or a pretty piece of yellow gold. As the apple fell to the
ground she saw how beautiful it was, and she stopped to pick it up; and
while she was doing this, Meilanion gained a good many paces. But what
of that? In a minute she was as close behind him as ever. And yet, she
really did pity him.

Just then Meilanion threw the second apple over his shoulder. It was
handsomer and larger than the first, and Atalanta could not bear the
thought of allowing some one else to get it. So she stopped to pick it
up from among the long grass, where it had fallen. It took somewhat
longer to find it than she had expected, and when she looked up again
Meilanion was a hundred feet ahead of her. But that was no matter. She
could easily overtake him. And yet, how she did pity the foolish young
man!

Meilanion heard her speeding like the wind behind him. He took the third
apple and threw it over to one side of the path where the ground sloped
towards the river. Atalanta's quick eye saw that it was far more
beautiful than either of the others. If it were not picked up at once it
would roll down into the deep water and be lost, and that would never
do. She turned aside from her course and ran after it. It was easy
enough to overtake the apple, but while she was doing so Meilanion
gained upon her again. He was almost to the goal. How she strained every
muscle now to overtake him! But, after all, she felt that she did not
care very much. He was the handsomest young man that she had ever seen,
and he had given her three golden apples. It would be a great pity if he
should have to die. And so she let him reach the goal first.

After that, of course, Atalanta became Meilanion's wife. And he took her
with him to his distant home, and there they lived happily together for
many, many years.

[Illustration:]

THE HORSE AND THE OLIVE

I. Finding a King.

On a steep stony hill in Greece there lived in early times a few very
poor people who had not yet learned to build houses. They made their
homes in little caves which they dug in the earth or hollowed out among
the rocks; and their food was the flesh of wild animals, which they
hunted in the woods, with now and then a few berries or nuts. They did
not even know how to make bows and a