MUSE

JANUARY 2009 • VOL. 2 • NO. 1

Odysseus - Hero or Killer? 16 BY EVIE LEE Did the triumphant hero of the
Trojan War, home after twenty long years, kill
Penelope’s suitors in cold blood? Or was
there a good reason?

Persephone’s Kidnapping 21 BY EVIE LEE Why did Persephone vanish,

and where did she go?
Something Beautiful 56 BY YANG QU [PHOTO STORY] Aphrodite is
restless and calls on Demeter and Artemis to
play.

Persephone returns to the Earth. Story on page 21.

MUSEMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY
2009 1
 MUSE
JANUARY 2009 • VOL. 2 • NO. 1
Editor’s Note 6
Letters 7
Paris: The Man Whose Decision Sparked the Trojan War 10
Pandora’s Box 14
Your Happiness Only 25
Obsession 30
Fade 32
3 Seconds 34
Reader’s Corner 37
Heracles 48
Theseus: An In Depth Look at One of the Greatest Greek Heroes of All Time 50
Hang On Tight, Peleus! 53
Race for Life 54
Atalanta’s Whereabouts 72
Dear Amaltheia 73
Dear Readers 74
Many Greek heroes are featured
in this month’s issue of MUSE.

2 JANUARY 2009 |
MUSEMAGAZINE.COM
[t o p
se c re t]

4 JANUARY 2009 |
MUSEMAGAZINE.COM
EDITOR’S NO
TE

Everyone agreed that if Odysseus returned, he would dole out punishment to those who flouted his authority and sought to
usurp his position. On the other hand, everyone also agreed that the redoubtable hero was most likely dead.
Imagine the suitors’ surprise when the destitute beggar they had so sharply rebuked strung Odysseus’ bow and began his
atrocious slaughter. They immediately changed their ways, becoming suppliant and offering to expiate their deeds and
acquiesce to Odysseus’ demands. However, the hero was inexorable – he could not find it in himself to forgive the audacity
of the suitors. Before long, Odysseus and his comrades had slaughtered all the men.

NO MAN LEFT It was inevitable that Odysseus would feel the need to punish the
contemptible suitors who had attempted to murder Telemachus, but in his

BEHIND: DECENT vindictive state of mind, Odysseus took out everyone who had dared to
spend their time in his halls eating away his wealth. Among these people was

MEN MURDERED
one decent man called Amphinomus, who was sensible and pleased
Penelope the most out of all the hundred eight suitors. He persuaded the rest
of the suitors to reject Antinous’ proposal to trap and murder Telemachus on
ALONGSIDE his native land now that the youth had managed to sneak by their waiting
ambush. Amphinomus was also the man who drank Odysseus’ health after
DECEITFUL the hero’s victory over Arnaeus in a boxing match.

Despite all this, Amphinomus was the third to die in the mighty clamor – sent to Hades by the hand of the young prince
Telemachus himself. Odysseus had ordered those who fought beside him to exonerate no one – they would all be slain as
atonement for their selfish actions. He felt that a harsh punishment was merited because the suitors had affronted his pride
and honor – the very same qualities that had caused him to return home from the Trojan War so late.
Now, friends, was all this really necessary? Out of the five score and eight suitors, surely there were some decent men.
Indisputably, they could not all have been as despicable as Antinous and his crony Eurymachus. Though we may have
expected Odysseus to teach the suitors the error of their ways, we find ourselves appalled that the violence reached such
incalculable heights. Our bards are already at work both paying homage to the return of Odysseus and crafting songs of
lamentation.
Readers, what are your thoughts on the matter? Was it Odysseus’ right to take the lives of all the suitors, or should he
have spared some of the more respectable men? Our reporter Evie Lee has more information in her article Odysseus – Hero
or Killer? (page 16).
If you wish to avenge those who were killed, then Eupithes, Antinous’ father is mustering the suitors’ relatives against
Odysseus and his men tomorrow after supper. However, keep in mind that this troop is being led by the father of Antinous,
who can easily be called the most despicable of the suitors – he who constantly plotted to gain Odysseus’ fortune. If I were
you, I would stay home – the apple does not fall far from the tree, and Eupithes may well prompt another slaughter.

KATELYN CHEN
katelyn.chen@musemagazine.com

6 EDITOR’S NOTE

CARTOONIST’S
VIEW
I would like to respond to your editorial in the last issue of
Muse. Although I completely agree with the main portion of
your article, I have to say that I am appalled at your
opinion of Zeus’s say in the matter.
Though yes, Zeus approved of his brother’s decision, I
must point out that the final say was not his. As brothers,
Zeus and Poseidon probably don’t value the opinions of
one another as they would had they been close friends,
instead. In Poseidon’s eyes, Zeus’s opinion is probably as
paltry to him as any mortal man’s opinion would be.
Please take this opinion into thought.
SARAH SUTTON
San Jose, California
After reading your editorial about xenia, I would like to
disagree about what you said about Poseidon. Although
Poseidon turned the Phaeacians’ ship into a
LETTER
S
mountain he did not do it intentionally.
I believe the omnipotent god that you say to be omniscient
may have lost his temper in an argument with Zeus. For
example if Zeus and Poseidon were arguing over an issue
and Poseidon lost, he could look on at the mortals that live
on Earth that Zeus first despised but grown to live with,
and could have thought, giving the mortals a mountain, like
the one the gods have, may anger Zeus. Therefore,
making the Phaeacians follow the xenia code, which Zeus
made up, impossible.
In any case, Poseidon may have made an inevitable
problem in the eyes of the Phaeacians, but I say gods are
allowed to make mistakes too, since they are only mortals
with power that have been selected to rule the universe.
So, I insist you make another editorial consorting xenia
and other predicaments the gods may have been in at the
time.
LILLIAN TRAN
San Jose, California
Today I read your editorial, Earth-Shaker’s Tantrum
Shakes Foundation of Greek Society, on xenia. From
what I read, your editorial is beautifully written and portrays
how the gods really are. They aren’t benevolent people
with awesome powers. In reality that are full of guile and
tricky, going against even their own rules. I believe you
must have a lot of valor to stand up against the gods and
for that I salute you!
Ever since the beginning of the belief in the gods, people
have acquiesced to their every command as though they
orders like they were struck in stone. They bowed down to
them and deified them. I believe that your editorial is the
first step in pushing people to becoming more audacity.
Gods are not moral; they have their flaws. Each of them
have a dark and a light side. People need to learn that to
step away from the past and move forward into the future.
As you can surmise from this, I want you to continue
writing against the gods, as you did in your editorial. The
Greek society would be more open to the fact that they
can do something to stop disasters from happening.
Gods don’t create them, nature does. And people
need to learn that.
EVIE LEE
San Jose, California
LETTER
S 7
LETTER
S generosity to a stranger is very
All this while, I thought that xenia was
a resplendent tactic to show deference
to our elders and the many strangers
we encounter. For me, it was similar to
a sacred ritual – it was a sin to break it.
After reading your editorial, I have
learned a ludicrous truth that truly is a
shock. Learning about the great Zeus’s
betrayal has filled my life with havoc
and dismay. This is quite an issue!
All throughout my life, I have been
taught to abide by xenia. In my mind,
anyone who breaks this law is truly a
sinner and deserves a cruel
punishment. So the fact that Zeus
supported his brother in punishing the
kind-hearted Phaeacians for showing
hospitality to a needy human being is
very much a shock. The gods have
truly degraded themselves in my eyes
by allowing and doing this kind of
injustice – especially Zeus. How can I
possibly honor a god who can not even
deliver proper justice?
What can become of this terrible act?
Will many lose their faith in the gods or
ignore this outrageous act in fear of the
powerful immortals? For Zeus and
Poseidon to punish those blameless
people for showing
Readers responded
overwhelmingly to
our Editor’s Note last
month (December
2008) on the topic of
the gods and xenia.
Weigh in on the issue
at
8 musemagazine.co
LETTERS
disheartening. Will the rancor
and hatred that Poseidon feels for
Odysseus fuel a fire that will destroy
all humanity in the world? I, for one,
am not willing to turn the other cheek
and ignore this injustice. Truth should
prevail in this sinful act!
Thank you for enlightening me with
this interesting information.
MANASI KASBEKAR
San Jose, California
I absolutely agree with your editorial;
in fact, I think it is a brilliant piece of
work. The gods do need to be less
petty. They do not need to behave
like children. They are supposed to
be all knowing, the wise ones, and
the guardians. I do not mean to
rebuke the gods – I do not have the
audacity to do so. Anyways, if Zeus
has the power to create xenia, then
he, the rule-setter, should set an
example and follow it. By allowing his
brother Poseidon to be an exception
– even if he IS his brother – he has
angered and scared a whole city.
Now that the Phaeacians are not
going to allow passage anymore, is
Zeus going to punish them for not
following xenia? I am deeply appalled
at Lord Poseidon’s behavior, and
even more irate at Zeus for
condoning such actions. It is
condoning such actions. It is
unsatisfying to see the ones we
have deified acting like whinny
babies. Even though the gods may
punish me for this, I will deeply
consider twice before paying my
homage to Great Poseidon. Actually,
it will be inevitable that others would
also think twice, if they the Great
Ones are inexorable in changing
their contradictory ways. It’s
absolutely ludicrous to think that
people are going to stop sacrificing to
the gods, but I can feel that it’s going
to happen one day. As I said before,
IF ONLY THE GODS WOULD
CHANGE THEIR WAYS, then none
of this would have happened.
Thank you for reading this letter. If
you wish to contact me, please mail
all letters to the address I have listed.
If you are up to it, I would wish to
continue on with this little discussion.
YANG QU
San Jose, California
NEWS

EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEW

Paris
THE MAN
WHOSE
DECISION
SPARKED
THE TROJAN
WAR

10 PARIS
 NEW
S
Some time ago, the mortal man Paris decided that the fairest goddess was Aphrodite, a decision which
would later bring about the Trojan War. Due to financial problems and the fact that Paris was off fighting
in the war, we could not get an interview with this famous mortal. Finally, ten years later, our associates
have booked an interview with him. True, at this point he is long dead, but we figure his time in the
Underworld will have given him plenty of time to reflect on his actions.

Q A
Hello Paris. I am reporter Evie Lee from MUSE Nine days later the farmer came back to find that a
Magazine. I must say, it’s certainly nice to meet bear had suckled me. Amazed, the farmer brought
you at long last! me back with him, nurturing me like his own son

A
and naming me Paris. He even lied to King Priam
Nice to meet you too, Evie. I understand that you telling him I was surely dead and showed him fake
are here to interview me? evidence.

Q That is correct. Let’s begin now. Though it may

seem to have been a while ago, your decision to
choose Aphrodite as the fairest goddess of all
created the dreadful, enduring Trojan War. But
Q Wait a second – what does this have to do with
Zeus choosing you?

A
I believe it might have been that destiny had
how did you get the power to choose the fairest
already foretold it. I was to bring about the end of
one anyway?
my own people. Also, I once said one of my prized
bulls could beat any other. It beat all of the other

A
The omnipotent Zeus originally had the power to
bulls, so I said that for any bull that could beat me,
choose yet he instead chose me to take his place.
they would gain a golden crown. Ares changed
into a bull and beat my bull, receiving the crown as

Q Is there any particular reason why Zeus chose to a reward. From what I have heard, I was chosen
do something like this? for this reason. It might have been because I did
honestly give Ares a crown of gold, something no
regular person would have done, unless they

A
Well, I’m not certain, but Zeus’s choice might have knew that the bull was Ares. Then, of course, they
had something to do with my past. You see, when would graciously give him the crown.
I was born, my parents were King Priam of Troy
and Hecuba. Not long before my birth, my mother
had a dream of giving birth to a flaming torch. An

Q
oracle interpreted this as the downfall of Troy. Well of course, if they knew they were in the
That same seer told the world that a child from the presence of a god...but let’s get to what everyone
royal family will have to be killed so Troy would really wants to know. For what reasons did you
continue to prosper. Everyone deemed me as this choose Aphrodite instead of the other goddesses?
child and everyone urged for me to be killed. Yet
both of my parents could not kill me so they
handed the job to a farmer out in the country.

A
Well, I suspect that I’m not supposed to tell you
this but what’s done is done so I might as well .

Q So how did you survive the ordeal? Did the farmer

also take pity on you?
Aphrodite and all of the other goddesses bribed
me with gifts, yet out of all of them I felt that
Aphrodite’s gift was the most rewarding.

A
Not exactly. He left me in the woods when I was
just a child so that nature could slowly kill me. I
suppose that was his way of showing pity – I don’t
think he wanted to actually take a weapon in hand Q What was Aphrodite’s bribe?

A
and bash my head in, if you know what I mean.
Aphrodite promised me the love of the most
beautiful woman in the world, Helen of

Q
Sparta. But… um… she also let her robe drop
Yes, I do know what you mean...but continue, and allowed me to see her nude body.
please!

PARIS
11
NEWS
Q
What about Athena, what did she promise to
give you?
A
Athena’s bribe, which was almost as tempting
as Aphrodite’s, was that I would be extremely
brave and an expert in any craft. I would also
win all of my battles. To be succinct, I would
be intelligent, agile, and have much expertise
in all matters.
Q Last of all is Hera. What did she bribe you
with?
A Hera’s bribe was that I would be wealthy.
However, some people spread rumors that
she also bribed me with the promise that I
would rule over both Europe and Asia.
Q So after hearing all of these delectable
bribes, you decided on Aphrodite’s
temptation, Helen of Sparta?
A Yes.
12 PARIS
Q
Is there any truth to the rumor that you were in love
with another before Aphrodite offered you Helen?
A
Since I’m telling you about everything else, I might as
well come clean with this too. Before I fell in love with
Helen of Sparta, I was in love with a dryad. Her name
was Oenone, and she was a master of the healing
arts. But our relationship became stressed once
Helen came into the picture.
Q What do you mean by that?
A
A seeress, Cassandra, had told Oenone that our love
would be fruitless. Yet another prophecy was that
some day I would be injured deeply in battle. The only
person that could heal my wounds would be Oenone.
Q Did they come true?
A
When that time came – when I was on the virge of
death – Oenone pushed me aside and said that she
would not heal me. She would not accept my
attempts to exonerate myself from my wrongs.
Oenone said that I should instead look to my new
lover, Helen, for help. She cursed me and screeched
for me to die in warmth of Helen’s arms. So I died.
Not long afterward, Oenone joined me in the
Underworld. She said she regretted her actions and
had thrown herself onto my funeral pyre.
Q I see. Sounds kind of...morbid. That’s why right now
I’m interviewing a ghost in the middle of the desolate
Underworld. So how do I get out?
A That depends on whether or not Hades wants you to
leave.
.
Q Oh great… so I’m stuck here for all eternity?
A Of course!
NEWS
PAND
started it all? Pandora’s box. That’s the
reason why there is death, pain, and
plagues; all the evils in the world started
with the box that Pandora opened
ORA’S
unknowingly. However, the story of
Pandora’s box starts much before that. To
By Evie be more exact, it started with the creation of
all the creatures on Earth.
Lee
BOX
How did death come into the Zeus chose the two brothers Epithemeus
world – why do things die? Why and Prometheus to distribute gifts to all of
do people hate one another? Why the creatures on Earth. Epithemeus, the
do we feel pain? What Titan of afterthought,
14 PANDORA’S BOX
started granting the gifts to the animals first:
some had agility, others were powerful.
Epithemeus gave away all of the gifts until
there were none left for the human beings.
Prometheus, the Titan of forethought, took
over the job and decided to gift the human
race with three gifts. First of all, he stole
reason from the goddess, Athena.
Secondly, he stole the sacred fire from the
god of the smithy, Hephaestus. Lastly,
Prometheus taught
 NEW
S
the human beings all of the knowledge
that he had. Stealing from the gods
had a dreadful punishment, but
Prometheus was willing to take it, since
he loved the human race most out of
all the other animals. Zeus dished out
a perpetual punishment for the
audacious robber, Prometheus: he
would be chained to a rock and have
his liver eaten out by a vulture or eagle
everyday. Each day, the liver would
regenerate for the bird’s meal the next
day.
Zeus’s anger didn’t stop with
Prometheus, though. He also wanted
to exact his revenge upon the human
race. After a long period of deep
thinking, Zeus finally figured out the
perfect way to exact his revenge. He
decided to create a feminine human
being with unparalleled beauty who
would pass into the mortal world. Once
there, Zeus planned to have her open
a box filled with all the evils in the
world, therefore releasing them as a
punishment for the human race.
Delighted with his ingenious plan,
Zeus immediately had Hephaestus
create her. Once she was created, all
the gods and goddesses gathered
deep within her another feeling was remind him that we are there. If only
together and pitched in to give her
pulling at her, urging her to open the we could just travel back to stop the
special gifts such as beauty, curiosity,
box that was given to her. The gods dominoes from falling. Then there
and a devious nature. After she was
had told her not to, but the curiosity would be no death, no misery; people
given all of the gifts, Hermes decided
she had been gifted with compelled wouldn’t feel the devastating pain in
to give her the name Pandora,
Pandora to open the box. And that’s their hearts every moment of their
meaning “all giving.” Hades, the god of
what she did: Pandora opened the box. lives.
the Underworld, gave Pandora a box. If
Even though she only wanted to take a “If only”, “if only”, we could ramble on
she were to open it, Pandora would set
peek, evils such as death, illness, war, about all the “if only”s for ages, but we
free a horrendous collection of evils
and despair flew out of the box as soon can’t turn back time. Our hearts might
upon the world. Pleased with
as it cracked open. From that point on, hurt and floods of tears may flow down
Hephaestus's creation, Zeus
these evil beings have stood by our our faces, but we can’t turn back. The
commanded Hermes to fly her and the
side, haunting us and bringing tears to only way we could do anything
box down to Earth and straight to
our eyes. else but walk forward would be to
Epithemeus’s doorstep. Epithemeus
If only we could step back. Back succumb to the dread: to die. Nobody
took one glance at Pandora and was
before Pandora opened her box, wants that, so we continue to walk on
enticed by her exceptional beauty.
before Zeus commanded Pandora to the road of dreams, the road of pains,
This feeling did not only come from
be created. Before Prometheus stole the road that never ends and holds
Epithemeus, though. Pandora too
the sacred fire. Venture back to when everyone’s life in its bind:
began to feel love in her heart. Yet
Epithemeus was creating the creatures
of the world. If we could return back to
that time, we could stop Epithemeus
from running out of gifts for human
the road
beings. We could
of life.
PANDORA’S
BOX 15
NEWS

Odyss
eus
HERO
or
KILLER?
16 ODYSSEUS
NEW
S

ODYSSEUS
17
NEWS
BY EVIE
LEE
After twenty years, Odysseus, King of Ithaca, has
returned home safe and sound. Yet not everyone is safe. It
has been reported that not so long ago Odysseus and
some other comrades killed one hundred Greek citizens
within the walls of Odysseus’ home. Nobody knew when
he was going to come back. Nobody even knew if he was
even going to come back at all. Many expected for him to
never return; even our fair queen, Penelope, was losing
hope. However, last night a pageboy saw or at least heard
what happened in the dining hall of the castle. The boy ran
all the way to town because he heard screams – the
screams of, not one man, but many of them – ringing in his
ears.
Today we asked Penelope what had happened in the
dining hall. Odysseus then came and told us that every
single one of the suitors were dead, atrociously killed by
either his hand or that of his comrades. Is this really how a
king should act? We asked him why he chose to slaughter
the suitors and he replied that the suitors had “dishonored
him”. What did he mean by that?
It turns out, after further questioning, that the suitors
18 ODYSSEUS
were not that polite to the castle inhabitants. In fact, they
had stormed their way into the castle, and afterward ate
and drank most of the food without care. They were
inconceivably contemptible and all they seemed to care
about was Penelope. There are even some rumors
floating around town that a few of the suitors decided to
join together and make an attempt on Prince Telemachus’
life! (Needless to say, they failed.) Most people, our
sources report, actually hated the suitors. Maybe it was a
good thing that they were killed.
Also, there is the fact that the people Odysseus killed
were well-known and respected men of Greek society.
Others will take revenge on Odysseus sooner or later for
killing them all. Our city is armed, though, with strong
knights, archers with the greatest skill, and also the gods.
Yes, they backed up Odysseus the night of the massacre.
Zeus roared his approval with his thunderbolt ahead, and
Athena warned Odysseus that he was welcome in his
home no longer, allowing him to prepare a plan. Her
suggestion was to circumvent the
 NEW
S
people and make his way forward in a disguise. Athena,
goddess of strategic warfare and heroic Is Odysseus the same
endeavor, did her part by protecting the four people who
were fighting against such tremendous odds. They were as he used to be? Of
facing over a hundred men – it definitely wouldn’t have
been possible without the gods’ help.
course he isn’t. But he
In addition, there is the fact that when Odysseus was
dressed up like a beggar, the suitors did not take pity in
has his reasons for
him. They instead scorned him and scoffed when he
announced that he would try to string Odysseus’ bow,
killing the suitors – they
which was in fact his bow. They made a huge clamor ruined the family
because they believed he wasn’t up to par. Since the
suitors had been living in Penelope’s home for years pride. What’s more, the
waiting for her to choose one of them as her husband, and
therefore the king, they didn’t want a measly old beggar to gods decided to back
deter them from gaining the gorgeous Penelope and all the
fortunes that came with her. But what if they treated actual him up. The suitors
guests like how they treated Odysseus? If Zeus’s laws of
xenia protect all travelers, then those suitors right now were at fault. Odysseus
would be feeling the wrath of the gods. Their death was
imminent, as the gods would’ve killed them one way or had the will of the gods
another: wheter they were harassing Odysseus or an
unknown man. beside him. We should
just rejoice in the fact
that Odysseus has
returned from his
journey at long last.

ODYSSEUS
19

Persephone’s Kidnapping
BY EVIE
LEE
One day disaster stuck Earth. With her appeasing looks,
Persephone, the daughter of Demeter and Zeus, was by
far one of the most gorgeous goddesses. While she was
picking flowers one day with her companions, the ground
opened up and out came the hands of the god of the
Underworld, Hades. He grasped the beautiful goddess
with his hands and pulled her into the ground – into the
Underworld where he planned to make her his bride.
Persephone was to be forcefully made the goddess and
queen of the Underworld.
Meanwhile, Demeter searched the Earth for her lost
NEW
S
child. She, along with Hecate, hunted high and low for
Persephone. Helios, the sun, who sees everything, finally told
Demeter of the tragic scene he had witnessed. Once somber
Demeter learned that Hades had kidnapped Persephone, her
heart fell deeper into depression. While mourning for her child,
Demeter neglected her duty as the goddess of the harvest. All of
the plants on Earth started to wilt. No crops were grown; the
human race was hungry and starving for lack of food.
Not only were the stomachs of the humans growing, so were the
animals’. In some ways they were worse off, since the humans
were killing them off one by one. Alongside the
PERSEPHONE:
KIDNAPPED 21
NEWS
whining of the humans and animals were
the gods themselves. Many of the gods
had cherished Persephone’s beauty and
hoped to win her over. Finding that Hades
had kidnapped their beloved simply would
not do. Havoc was raging all over Earth
from one irrational decision by Hades.
At this point, Zeus had a huge dilemma to
deal with. If he didn’t rescue Persephone
from the depths of the Underworld,
then everything would continue crying out
in anguish. Yet bringing Persephone back
was not going to be a simple task. Hades
ruled the Underworld, and his power was
far stronger than that of most gods. Even
though Zeus was the ruler of the gods, that
didn’t mean he wanted to anger Hades, his
brother. Furthermore, there was the fact
that only a select few can travel back and
forth between the Underworld without
coming to harm.
However, the cries of the people soon
became too much for Zeus to handle.
Thus, he commanded Hermes – one of the
select few mentioned above – to fetch
Persephone back. Contemptible Hades
heard of this decree through the grapevine,
and to circumvent Persephone’s departure,
he persuaded her to eat a few
pomegranate seeds. Not long after that,
Hermes came to pick up Persephone, and
a huge reunion of mother and daughter
occurred above on Earth.
Plants began to grow once more.
Animals and humans alike had their food
once again. The gods were satisfied, at
least for now. All was well...until everyone
figured out that the pomegranate seeds
Hades had given Persephone made it
impossible for Persephone to stay on Earth
forever. Those four seeds she ate bound
her to the Underworld for a certain part of
the year. During Persephone’s time in the
Underworld, Demeter would lament for her
child and all of the plants would wither.
Once Persephone came back onto the
Earth, though, the plants would revive. This
is how our wonderful seasons came to be.

22 PERSEPHONE: KIDNAPPED
 When you’re sick
- THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT -

do you pray to
Asklepios?
Bye Persephone! During the long
winter season with the cold climates
and lower productions of vegetables
everyone is bound to catch a cold.
When you take out the praying
candles and sacrifices do you
actually believe that Asklepios would
help you? After further investigation
from Turning Point Organization and
Into The New World Corporation
fewer mortals are worshiping this
god. See why Turning Point
Organization and Into The New World
Corporation think this is a step into
the future…

According to I.T.N.W Corps., sixty-

five percent of the believers are not
making sacrifices and prayers to this
god. Studies have shown that people
now spend their time gathering herbs
on their own and fixing up remedies
by themselves.
Turning Point Organization predicts
that ninety percent of the believers
will also start experimenting different
plants to cure themselves instead of
waiting for the medicine god’s help.
“This means that the people are
developing skills to live independent
from god. At Turning Point
Organization we support this belief
one-hundred percent.”

Sponsored by Changin’ Lives Forever and Need a Little Boost?

 LITERATUR
E
YOUR
HAPPINESS
ONLY
By Yang
Qu
As the final bell rang, Kaori rushed out of
the classroom and onto the pavement.
Across the courtyard, a similarly eager girl
came out of a door. When they met up, they
squealed in joy and set out to find the car that
would take them to their destination. Once in
the taxi, Kaori fiddled with the two-tone cross
pendant she always wore. Sensing her
friend’s nervousness, the girl next to her
smiled mischievously.
“Dude, don’t worry. You’ll probably see him
the instant you get there. Or, if you don’t, he’ll
probably pop up near some random fruit
stand and scare the living daylights out of
you.” With that, the girl grinned again. Kaori
smiled back lightly, then looked out the
window.
“Do you think it’ll be this sunny in SF?”
Kaori asked.
“Sure, maybe with a few clouds, but…” was
the reply. Kaori glanced over at her friend
and she glanced back. Slowly, a smile spread
across her friend’s face and she grinned.
“Bet he’ll definitely want to be your
boyfriend when he sees you in Loli1,” her
friend teased.
“Be quiet!” Kaori made a mock angry face
at the other giggling teen.
“Ehehehehe,” her friend cackled one last
time before sobering.
“Yukina, what if…what if he doesn’t like me
anymore? What if he never liked me at all?
What if – “ Kaori was cut off by Yukina’s
hand.
“He still likes you,” Yukina stated firmly,
“and if he didn’t, he would have told you
already.
I want to see all of you . . . I want to love all
of . . . you . . .
1. Loli: Short for Lolita, a fashion based on elegance, decadence, innocence and modesty, much like the
YOUR HAPPINESS
fashion of the Edwardian and Victorian eras
ONLY 25
LITERATU
RE
“But the last time I saw him…he was really distant,”
Kaori pondered. Yukina scowled at the ceiling.
“If he does that to you, I’ll beat him until he’s black and
blue,” Yukina answered decisively, but seeing her friend’s
pained expression quickly replaced her glare with a small
smile.
“I’m sure he had a good reason. After all, high school’s
more stressful than junior high,” Yukina smiled and looked
forward.
“I’m sorry miss. There seems to be some traffic,” the
driver glanced at the girls through the rearview mirror.
“It’s ok. We can spare some time,” Yukina replied,
looking at her antique pocket watch.
“All right,” the young driver nodded and relaxed his grip
on the steering wheel.
“How old are you?” Kaori piped.
“Me? I’m seventeen,” the man replied.
“That’s young,” Yukina commented in awe.
“I’m driving my uncle’s car while he’s in the hospital,” he
smiled.
“Oh…too bad about your uncle, is his condition serious?”
Yukina asked with child-like innocence. Shaking his head,
the driver smiled again before gently stepping on the
accelerator.
“What’s your name? You already know ours, so we can
know yours right?” Yukina questioned brightly.
Laughing, the driver answered with “Kai”. Turning back
to the road, he moved forward a few yards, then stopped.
Thirty minutes passed before Kai dropped them off near
Japantown. After Kaori and Yukina climbed out of the car,
Kai lingered at the curb for a moment, then drove off
slowly.
“Let’s go to that café we talked about,” Kaori suggested
and the two strolled down the street. Entering the tea
place, they were escorted to a gorgeous table by a
sympathetic waitress who immediately knew what
happened.
“Traffic?” she asked, and to that Kaori and Yukina
nodded. She served them tea and asked what they would
like. Yukina ordered blueberry scones and Kaori had the
chocolate-strawberry shortcake. Coming back with their
scrumptious delicacies, the waitress also carried an ivory
card with familiar writing on it.
Kaori, it read, meet me at the Peace Pagoda at 3:30
p.m. today. ~Hiroto
“Hiroto…” Kaori’s voice dropped to a whisper, “what time
is it now?”
“3:35...how did he know anyway?” Yukina answered.
“I told him about it…but I’m late…” Kaori stood up.
“You can probably catch him if you hurry, so go!” the
waitress chided and pushed Kaori towards the door.
26 YOUR HAPPINESS ONLY
Yukina placed a palm on Kaori’s shoulder, “If he really
liked you, he would still be waiting.”
Kaori nodded and dashed out in the direction of the
Pagoda. Running as fast as she could in Tea Party shoes,
she raced to see him in time.
3:40...
Almost there…Kaori thought as she pushed herself even
faster.
3:42...
Why is time passing by so slowly?! Tears began to form
from exertion in the corners of her eyes.
3:45...
She rounded the corner and the majestic tower came
into sight. Walking towards the spire, she saw…
No one.
Kaori, it read,
meet me at
the Peace
Pagoda at
Lying on the bench in front of her…was a bouquet of red
roses wrapped in tissue paper.
3:30 p.m.
Kaori fell to her knees and slumped onto the bench. As
her fingers curled around the collective stem, the first tears
began to fall. One by one, they stained the white stone
bench.
today. ~
“Why?” Kaori muttered, “Why don’t you like me anymore?
Why did you pull me in if you never felt anything in the first
place? Why?! HIROTO, WHY?!” Sobs escaped her mouth
Hiroto
and she tightened her grip on the roses. In a fury, she
threw the elegant flowers to the ground, yet didn’t have the
heart to trample them. Burying her head in her arms, she
thought back to that first visit.
“Come visit me every week!” Hiroto cried excitedly to
Kaori.
“I’ll see, since my parents would only let me out once a
month or so,” Kaori replied apologetically.
“Well, the next time you come, I’ll have a surprise for
you!
Then…
“I will walk together…the future not promised, yeah…it
keeps walking together, to the future in which you are…”
Hiroto ended Cassis2, then smiled. Kaori smiled back with
admiration and awe.
2. Cassis: a song by The GazettE
 LITERATUR
E

“That was awesome!” she exclaimed.

Memories were passing by so quickly, and
Kaori felt her energy and hope fade out of her.
“Hey!” Kaori yelled in surprise when she found
her red bean porridge was gone. She glared at
Hiroto, who was slurping it up at that moment.
“That was mine!”
Hiroto grinned, then drained the rest of it.
Later, when they were walking around
Chinatown, a cross caught Kaori’s eye. As she
read the price tag, her jaw dropped.
“Twenty dollars?” she yelped.
“Do you like it? If you do, I’ll buy it for you,”
Hiroto offered, then pulled out a twenty. After he
exchanged with the salesperson, he unclasped it
and wrapped it around Kaori’s neck.
“Thank you,” Kaori said shyly.
“No problem…”
Fresh tears fell down as she thought of that
day and that happy, innocent look on her face.
“I hate you, Hiroto. Why did you have to hurt
me like that? I don’t want to see you ever
again…” A desperate look flashed across Kaori’s
face.
5:00...
Up on the sky, ominous clouds started rolling
in. In a second, they covered up the bright clear
blue horizon. Blotting out the sun, they cast
shadows that fell everywhere; the play of
chiaroscuro became an interesting game of dark
and light. Black shadowed the scarlet roses on
the ground, deepening them so that they turned
a deep crimson. Rolling thunder came from the
direction of the sea, but Kaori didn’t seem to
notice. Only when the first drops of rain water hit
her did she notice it was pouring.
Rain…
She let the rain drench her, then titled her head
back. Closing her eyes, she waited for the tears
to wet all of her. Her hand fell carelessly on the
dropped bouquet and pricked her skin. Feeling
the roses, she smiled sadly.
“Red…like blood…like anger…” she mumbled
slowly.
“Like love,” someone ended as an umbrella
opened above them. Kaori snapped open her
“Do you know why it rains? It
eyes and gazed up into Hiroto’s face. In his
hands was a single blue rose. He smiled…
rains because someone wishes
“Ai shite iru3…” for your sadness to be washed
away. To protect and comfort
you, I will wish for, and become,
3. Ai shite iru: Japanese for “I love you”
your rain. So when the rain
YOUR HAPPINESS
ONLY 27
LITERATUR
E
My aggravating fixation has gone too
far –
I see you lying there silently, your
perfect hair falling carelessly over
your shoulders.
You seem so peaceful – the ever
present content though small smile
hanging on your lips.
Slowly it spreads, touching everything
in its way.
Slowly, you become engulfed by it too…
> o <   All I knew was:
When I first met you, you were driving
recklessly down the street. The light
turned red but you didn’t stop. Then I
knew…
You were in too deep to get out.
Something took over me and I ran out
into the street. Spreading my arms
out, I waited for the impact…
Nothing.
Opening my eyes I looked up at you.
Shock then blankness flittered across
your face. I was pulled back onto
the sidewalk. You…drove away.
You were a shadow the next day.
It was a game of cat and mouse and I
was winning. Bit by bit I was winning.
 
You doused yourself in gasoline then
held a candle up in your face.
Your shirt was halfway burned before
the rain came down.
I have never seen you so unhappy.
The next day I avoided you and you
avoided me.
Your hair haunted me. Your very being
haunted me.
I hated you.
I heard you cut your hair.
Why did you do that?
An immense hatred for you grew.
Later when I thought of your actions, I
could feel my heart breaking into tiny
pieces.
One by one they fell, grazing the surface
of my skin.
30 OBSESSION
Then the truth dawned.
Your hair still flowed behind you, still
flew back when you walked against the
wind.
There was a churn in my heart...I knew
something was wrong.
That mixture of hate and love –
admiration – would not be tolerated.
How could I put this into words?
I didn’t know how…
That whenever I saw you…you radiated a
sense of…
Fragility.
Your pale skin glowing in the sun…making
you look like a porcelain doll.
You looked so…vulnerable…as if one blow
would shatter you into shards.
I hated you.
I passed by later but you didn’t see me.
What is it that flowed from your veins?
Why did you look so happy in front of
your friends?
Why did you act like that?
Life was a game of ‘let’s pretend’ for you,
and there was no way to reverse it.
You had a choice.
But it was too late for you.
I knew what flowed from your veins –
your pain, your suffering, your
thoughts…
Your life.
I found a note…your note.
Why did you do this to yourself?
I wanted. You. To. STOP!
Were we already advancing into the
twenties that time?
How long did I have to wait?
You made me so…sick.
Stop already…STOP!
 
But you didn’t listen.
You never listened.
I was only a nuisance to you…a
shadow…an echo.
I hated you.
You were making me crazy and I couldn’t
stand it anymore. You. Disgusted. Me.
 LITERATUR
E
That pleading look on your face I had
never seen.

Obses
But I knew enough to make my decision.
Maybe you were looking for someone to
help you.
Soon, you would know all the answers.

You were always on my mind.

That. Was. Obsession.

You didn’t see me because I was invisible

to you. By

sion
I wanted to see you smile.
Your radiant, carefree smile.
But you never smiled at me.
LOOK AT ME YOU ignoramus!
Yang
Yes…yes…you would know all the answers
soon. All the answers to your mistakes.
Because, you yourself was the key.
Qu
Do you get it now?

I finally touched you, and I knew it

would be the first and last time. Were
you happy then?
I hated you.
> o <  
You wanted to get out of your misery…
I did the job for you…

I see you lying there peacefully with

that hated smile on your face.
Slowly it spreads, staining you…with…
Guren1.

1. Guren: Japanese for “crimson lotus” OBSESSION

31
LITERATUR
E

I can feel you fading farther away,

I can't find you anymore
What happened here?
What happened to this lovely world?

You say it's the time for change,

And I don't want to accept it
I don't know anything without you by my side
I need you here...I need you.

These words have become meaningless

You can’t be reached by these useless hands
There’s nothing left to see here, there’s nothing left to feel
Have you forgotten me, it seems so…

How cruel of you, leaving me in this place to deal with it all alone…

Wandering, watching…just waiting for a sign

Waiting…waiting…I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!
Why aren’t you here anymore?

FA
Why can’t you hear me?

I’ve been calling your name…forever it seems By Yang

Still you give no sign Qu
Am I that unimportant?
Why can’t I get through to you? Why can’t you answer?

It’s no use…
It’s no use at all anymore.
I guess this is goodbye…

DE
Goodbye…goodbye…

Goodbye.

32 FADE
LITERATUR
E

By Yang
Qu
3
S

34 3 SECONDS

It was Ami’s first day at school. While listening half-
heartedly to the student council representative that was
talking a blue streak, she thought about how she had to
pull up stakes and leave the quiet mellow California West
Coast for the bustling East Coast of New York. Now she
had to start from scratch and find a niche she could belong
to at school. She was not particularly worried about her
grades, even though she transferred into a prestigious
high school. One thing she was anxious about was how
everyone dressed at Juliet High – she was a fish out of
water in the fields of students dressed in Prada and Gucci.
After walking across the expansive complex, she arrived at
her first period class and the council representative left.
When she entered, she found a flamboyant, effervescent
teacher perched on the edge of her desk, chatting
animatedly about Michelangelo’s sculptures and paintings.
Ami cleared her throat politely; nevertheless, the teacher
whirled around on her seat and almost fell off.
“Oh dear, oh dear…! You almost scared the daylights
out of me! Um…are you, by any chance, Ami?” she asked
as she walked slowly towards the new girl. Nodding, Ami
angled her head away slightly as the arts
LITERATUR
E
teacher peered at her behind her enormous coke-bottle
glasses.
“Look, we have a Johnny come lately. Hmm, I wonder is
she will be as nerdy as the last one,” someone jeered at
the back of the classroom. Whipping her head over, Ami
glared daggers at the well-heeled student. Great, she
thought, I have already made an enemy on my first day.
Paying the piper will be inevitable.
“Now, class, I have a special event for you to consider.
Nest week, we will be having a Fashion Design contest. It
will be across all four grades, and the winner will have their
line featured in our school’s magazine ‘A La Mode’. Happy
designing!” chirped the teacher as she handed out the
flyers. Maybe I should make hay while the sun shines and
gain a name for myself, Ami mused as she perused the
handout.
That night, she started her design. Like grease lightning,
inspiration struck her and she immediately went to work.
Ami promised herself that she would take the annoying
student who had scoffed at her down a peg. First off, she
got a kick out of drawing abnormal yet functional clothes;
second of all, she felt that student was a pain in the neck,
and she always took out people who annoyed her by hook
or by crook.
3 SECONDS
35
LITERATUR
E
Putting all her energy into designing a masterpiece, Ami decided to stick
her neck out and draw something that was different from all her other
designs. At long last, she put down her pencils. Satisfied with her sketch,
she turned and fingered the bolts of fabric stacked on the desk behind her.
Light pearl grey silk chiffon, Ami decided, would be the best for the dress.
Smiling, she took out her dress form and went to work.
Three days passed – Monday became Thursday – and Ami was nearly
done. Kathy, a girl in all six of Ami’s classes, broke the ice on Thursday
and they became incredibly tight friends. Next Friday was the show, and
the teachers had slackened their homework load in order to put on the dog
at the event.
“Hey! Do you know who you are competing against in the Show?” Kathy
inquired as she walked alongside Ami. Shaking her head, Ami looked to
Kathy for the answer.
“There is Rochelle from the sophomore class, Kristopher from the junior
class, and Lacey, who is a senior. Those are the ones who won the
preliminaries; as a result, you are burning your bridges by entering the
Show. Also, it is a proven fact that you are the only freshman entering,”
Kathy quipped. Shrugging her shoulders, Ami did not care a fiddlestick that
she was the only one that had a stiff upper lip.
Friday finally arrived, and Ami was, surprisingly, not nervous at all. After
countless thoughts about the contest, she came to the conclusion that it
was no skin off her nose if she did not win – she only wanted to have fun.
As her design – the last one – went down the runway, the audience made
a collective gasp. It was a layered evening gown of pearl grey chiffon, with
tiny red roses embroidered onto the first layer, and a field of larger roses
scattered along the hem of the second, longer layer. At the neckline, fabric
roses formed a large corsage which doubled as a strap. As plain as a nose
on one’s face, Ami’s dress was the winner. Clearing his throat, the head
judge stood up.
“Students, teachers and fellow judges, after much deliberation, we have
decided that…” the judge started. Lacey, the one who made fun of Ami on
the first day, stood up pompously and waited for her name to be uttered.
“…we have decided that Ami’s dress is the winner!” the judge concluded.
Jaw dropping, Lacey turned and stared at Ami, who was asleep at the
switch. Covering up her mistake, Lacey tried to save face by clapping her
hands. When Ami fully processed that she won, it was a shot in the arm for
her. Gladly walking across the stage, Ami took the trophy with shaking
hands. Looking around, she saw a reluctant look of respect in Lacey’s
eyes. Knowing that her wish of making a name for herself came true due
to determination and hard work, Ami felt that her life in New York would not
be that difficult after all.

36 3 SECONDS
 READER’S CORN
ER

« MANASI
AGE 14
KASBEKAR

SAN JOSE,
CALIFORNIA
One of our readers drew her
own editorial cartoon for last
month’s editorial on Poseidon
and xenia. See Letters, page
7, for more information.

YANG QU
AGE 14
SAN JOSE,
CALIFORNIA
«
The Odyssey : A
Review
Upon finishing the book, I released a sigh of
relief and content. Here was the great warrior’s life
story right in front of me.
Odysseus was a man who served 10 years in the
Trojan War. After defeating the troops through his
cleverness and swiftness, he decided to return
home. However, the journey wouldn’t be as
smooth as he would have wished. In fact, it would
be a splinter in his side and a constant nagging
presence on his consciousness.
From being detained by Circe and Calypso to
wandering the seas on a wooden raft…from the
Cyclops Polyphemus’ cave to the Phaeacians’
land. His fight with Scylla and his encounter with
the Lotus Eaters are all written into prose.

READER’S
CORNER 37
READER’S CORN
ER
It’s amazing to realize that Poseidon was responsible for no, this classic epic poem, has adventure, romance, and
this contemptible behavior. Nevertheless, Odysseus was most of all, it teaches us the perseverance of a brave man.
dauntless and diligent in his wish of getting home. This We need to learn from his mistakes and glories. Only then
was because he was enamored with his wife Penelope. can we follow in his footsteps, or at the very least, follow
Even though the whole trip was a scene of futility, the path we choose instead of allowing others to influence
Odysseus still held on to his beliefs and followed through us.
on them.
Back home, Telemachus, like a filial son, kept his house
> o <  
and guarded his mom, but couldn’t do anything about the
suitors that plagued them. Zeus himself seemed to be Who wouldn’t want to read the epic tale of someone that
implacable, and the wrath that ensued was incalculable. has had a lasting impact on the world? Therefore, I give
But, in the end, everything righted itself. Odysseus finally this book five out of five for its gripping storyline, amazing
returned home after 20 years away, and slaughtered all translation, and universal messages that everyone can
the suitors that nested at their place. Athena had been enjoy.
incarnated, and had brought up a peace treaty. And thus,
the amazing story of Odysseus ended.
> o <  
The format was a little bothersome. I’m used to the
words taking up the entire sheet of paper, so seeing the
page only ¾ filled irked me to no end. The publishers
could have saved paper by printing it like an actual book.
But, printing it like an actual book would take away some
of the original charm, because it is supposed to be like a
poem. It is supposed to look like a poem, albeit one that
almost takes up the whole page. They included numbers
at the side, to keep track of every 5 stanzas, which was a
bonus.
> o <  
The translation is absolutely amazing. You have to take
into consideration that Homer lived thousands and
thousands of years ago. I’ve read snippets of other
versions with different translators, and they simply weren’t
as good as this one. There’s absolutely no comparison,
mainly because this translator used more modern words
instead of the archaic ones you find in many of those
books.
His translation was so good that I actually found myself
entranced by this story. Not only was it amazing, it was
inspirational. It teaches one to never lose heart when you
are fighting people that are more powerful than you. It also
shows the power of love, which everyone has heard of but
only shown most clearly in this story.
Thoughts on The
Iliad
It is the love that made Odysseus endure; it is the same War. Blood. Tragedy. The Iliad begins nine years into the
one that Penelope held close to her heart. It is the love Trojan War. Agamemnon, a leader of the Greek forces,
that brought them together again. This story, kidnaps the daughter of Apollo’s priest, Chryseis. When
Agamemnon refuses to give tChryseis back to the priest,
Apollo comes down from the heavens and brings a plague
upon the Greek army. Achilles, one of the greatest fighters
on the Achaean side, learns of the reason why the plague
is killing of their soldiers.

38 READER’S CORNER
 READER’S CORN
ER
Running to Agamemnon, Achilles told him the root of the
problem: Agamemnon's refusal to give back the priest’s
daughter. Agamemnon refused to give Chryseis back, and
after that a huge argument ensues between Agamemnon
and Achilles. Halfway through the argument, Agamemnon
tells Achilles that he will return Chryseis only if he takes
away Briseis, Achilles’s prize. From that an even larger
argument begins. Even Athena tried to quell their anger
and ridiculousness but with no prevail.
In the end, Agamemnon steals away Briseis, and
Achilles, full of anger, leaves the Achaean forces. Achilles
prays to the gods that they will make the Greek forces
need him to win the battle. If they do not ask Achilles to
come back, their whole conquest would be doomed.
From that point, The Illiad becomes a rollercoaster of
ups and downs for the two sides. Though most of the time
the Achaeans were losing poorly, it’s mainly at the end that
the tide begins turning around full swing. At the end, when
the Greeks to gain back his wife.
> o <  
In the end, this epic is puzzling. There are so many
things happening at once that it’s overwhelming. Yet for
me that’s the fun of it. Slowly reading the book and
interpreting made the book interesting, but the reading
time extremely elongated. Not only was the book
overwhelming, there were also some unnecessary details,
in my opinion. Homer didn’t have to rant on about all the
people in the war and all the war cries. At some points the
amount of excessive information became a bit ridiculous.
On the flip side, the book was extremely interesting. The
plotline was surreal and, if Homer would lower it down a
bit, the details were wonderful too. Overall, The Iliad is a
wonderful, heart-pounding book that people who have time
would want to read. If they did, I’m sure they’d enjoy it to
their heart’s content.

«
Achilles comes back after his best friend, Patroclus, was
killed, he begins fighting and killing in a rampage,
decimating hundreds of soldiers. One of the greatest EVIE LEE
fighters he knocked down was Hector, who killed
Patroclus. In the end, the Greeks defile Hector’s body (the AGE 13
man had killed many of their soldiers) but King Priam
comes to ransom for his son’s body, which the Greeks SAN JOSE,
agreed to.
As in all battles there are not only human beings fighting CALIFORNIA
but also the gods. Particular gods chose either side for a
reason. Aphrodite chose to help the Trojan army because
she favored Paris, who had given her the golden apple
and she has to ensure that her side of the deal was
completed: she would give Paris the prettiest woman in the
land, Helen. Ares, the god of war, had promised Athena
and Hera that he would fight for the Greeks, yet he
changed sides because of Aphrodite’s seduction. Zeus
had promised Thetis, Achilles’ mother, to make sure the
Greeks would have a dire need of Achilles in order to win
the war. Because of that promise, he joined the Trojans.
Apollo and Artemis also fought a bit on the Trojan side.
Hermes pitched in to help as well at the very end by
escorting King Priam to Achilles’ tent so the king could
ransom for Hector’s body.
On the other hand, Athena favored the Achaeans,
particularly Diomedes. Poseidon mainly prefered the
Greek side, but helped saved a few Trojans. Hera also
preferred the Greeks, which I believe mainly has to do with
the fact that Helen was legally married to King Menelaus,
who was fighting with the Greeks to gain back his wife.

READER’S
CORNER 39
READER’S CORN
ER
Which god/goddess are
you?

FULL NAME_______________________________
ADDRESS________________________________

Ever wanted to know which god or goddess you would be? Take this quiz now! To receive your
answer, cut out the box along the dotted lines and mail it to:

God/Goddess Quiz
Muse Magazine
8787 Muse Lane
Mt. Olympus, Greece 58217

You will receive a limited edition card with your god or goddess on it. On the next two pages, we have
descriptions of the gods and goddess of Olympus for your enjoyment. Once you receive your quiz card,
feel free to compare your god or goddess to yourself and see if there are any similarities. Have fun!

40 READER’S CORNER
READER’S CORN
ER

READER’S
CORNER 41
READER’S CORN
ER

I’m Athena, and I

approve of this
quiz. Not that any
of you are likely
to be as wise as I
am.

42 READER’S CORNER
READER’S CORN
ER Think you
have what it
takes to be
with Heracles?
1. How many kilometers do you run in the morning?
A. two
B. four
C. three
D. ten

2. Would you challenge a bull for an arena match?

A. Sure
B. No way, I would kill myself!
C. Of course!
D. Yes, I never refuse a challenge.

3. How would you stop a mob of angry people?

A. Kill them all with arrows.
B. Tie a rope around everyone.
C. Set a trap on the floor and trick them.
D. Ask what is wrong with open hands.

4. Favorite past time is…

A. Eating cranberries
B. Herding cattle into a cave
C. Helping others
D. Climbing a mountain

5. Enjoys...
A. Watching others in pain
B. Finishing a task
C. Swimming in Aegean Sea To see if you are the perfect match,
D. Hunting deer in the forest purchase one of the “Heracles is the One”
brochures at your local post office.

44 READER’S CORNER
 READER’S CORN
ER
Weekly Horoscopes
You will meet a strange obstacle when you Give 100% on it, if you purposely do evil
hear a sneeze and a bell, be very cautious. something bad will swing back.

Once you finish your task today air will be the Give that special person one more chance;
worst of your worries. everyone deserves two chances in life.

Mastering something difficult is better than

After two days a lucky gift will be awaiting you skillfully training yourself in a lower rank.
where and when you least expect it.

Although you feel that destiny is determined

Expect the worst, blue is good but white
when you are born, don’t think that you
will be your downfall on Wednesday.
cannot change it. Your future is your decision.

Always keep a smile on your face. Be The best thing you can do right now is take
influential to everyone this week and what action; don’t wait for someone else to do it for
returns to you may surprise you. you.

Don’t change yourself for someone else, the Hard work is nothing if you don’t believe in
best thing to be is yourself. The light is yourself. Believing in yourself is when you
shining on you today. will triumph the most.

Contest Winner Drawings

*If your name is listed below come to Crane Shack for a free juice.

Heracles’ Pose Heracles’ Pride Heracles Fighting

Jessica Fu Shino Hoji Kakashi Jou
Age 12 Age 6 Age 10

Turmoil Heracles
Nemean Lion’s Death Troji Lena
Sasuke Chu Age 11
Age 10

READER’S
CORNER 45
READER’S CORN
ER

A special present to bring in the

New Year! Your clues are on the
facing page, and the solution is on
the back inside cover.
Have
46 READER’S CORNER
fun!
READER’S CORN
ER

READER’S
CORNER 47
SPORT
S
Twelve Labors of Heracles
completed!

As you all know from Volume 1, Issue 12, of MUSE, Heracles was still working on his eleventh task at the time. He was
last spotted holding up the heavens for Atlas, who was retrieving the golden apples of Hesperides. Sources have informed
us that he cleverly outwitted the titan by making Atlas fall into a trap. His 12th task from King Eurystheus was to bring back
the three headed dog named Cerberos. Cerberos was currently engaged being the guard dog of Hades in Tartaros, so
Heracles immediately set off to Mount Tainaron, a.k.a the entrance to Tartaros. At his arrival, Hades greeted him and then
allowed Heracles to take Cerberos – with the condition that he could only use his bare hands. How could anyone possibly
tame an animal five times his size?
Our reporter Lillian Tran interviewed the hero Heracles in the flesh to find out. Check out the interview on the next page!
If you haven’t been keeping up with Heracles' endeavors, we have included a handy little cheat sheet below.

Heracles did what?!?

 Killed then skinned the Nemean
Lion
 Slaughtered the Lernaen Hydra
 Captured the swift Arcaduab Deer
 Brought back the Erymanthian
boar
 Cleaned the stables of Augeas
 Killed the Stymphailian birds
 Brought back the Creten Bull
 Tamed the mares of Diomedes
 Obtained the girdle of the
Amazons
 Killed the Oxen of Geryones
 Retrieved the golden apples of
48 HERACLES
Hesperides
 SPORT
S
[EXCLUSIVE Interview]
REPORTER LILLIAN TRAN
Heracles MEETS THE HERO FACE TO
FACE

and
How did you feel when you met

Q the dog face to face?

Cerberos Well, even after defeating the

A Stymphadian birds and the

Oxen of Geryones, I was a little
shocked from Cerberos’ actual
size. Nevertheless, terror did
not thrive in me.

Q How exactly did you tame

Cerberos?

All I did was seize him with my

A hands and force him on the floor

so that he could not move. At
first, he struggled, but after
some time he learned who the
boss really was.

One last question, was the

Q trip to Eurystheus with

Cerberos on your shoulders
hard to bear?
Not at all, picking him up was

A like carrying a glass of Nectar.

I guess the time I spent holding
up the heavens really did help
boost my strength HERACLES
49
SPORT
S

Theseu
s
AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT
ONE OF THE GREATEST
GREEK HEROES OF ALL
TIME BY LILLIAN TRAN

50 THESEUS
 SPORT
S

These
At the age of sixteen, Theseus was finally told who his father was, so he
set off on a long journey to meet him. On his way to Athens, he met four
robbers who made a living from disturbing the travelers who passed
through the woods. The first was the Club Wielder, a giant who , as you
can probably tell, wielded a club. The second was called Pine Bender,
after the manner in which he executed his victims. The third owned a

us and
tortoise, and the last one was called the Hammerer. Theseus believed
that depending on skill and intelligence was better than depending on
brute force, so he defeated them by using his wrestling skills. It was not
long until his deeds were known throughout the land.
When he reached Athens, he was asked to bring the Cretan bull to
Athens as a sacrifice. Using his cleverness first, he sought to make the
bull position itself in a tight state. After a few moments, the bull couldn’t

the
move; therefore, Theseus tied the bull up and dragged it back to Athens.
If you have ever tried tying a square knot, you can imagine how Theseus
schemed to make the bull tie itself up.

Robbe
rs
Once Theseus heard of his father’s
relationship with King Minos, he decided
to end it. King Minos had persuaded
King Aigeus to send seven young men
and maidens to him each year for the
Minotaur to eat. Theseus told his father
that he was not going to stand this, so
These
us and
the
Minota
waving a black flag on a pole. Before
Theseus left, his father gave him a white
flag and said, “My son, if the gods make
you able to destroy the monster, put up
this white sail on your return, sp that I
may see it far away on the water, and
know that my son is safe.” Theseus
really were on his side. Minos threw his
ring into the sea and asked Theseus to
retrieve it. Without hesitation, the youth
dove down into the water. To his
surprise, two dolphins went under his
arms and led him to the Queen of the
Sea, Amphitrite. She questioned his

he was going to slay the monster by
himself. Two days later, he was sent
along with the other sacrifices onto the
ship that was
ur
promised, and his next journey began. visit, and he said he was to retrieve the
During the sail to Crete, Minos ring of King Minos. A nymph tossed the
challenged Theseus to see if the gods ring to Theseus , and the dolphins

THESEUS
51
SPORT
S
took him back up onto the ship – only to find that it had not

What
waited for him. Dolphins were much swifter than \ships, so
Theseus easily caught up. What’s more, when Theseus
came aboard, he was dry as a desert. This astonished the
crew and King Minos, but his fight wasn’t over.
His encounter with the Minotaur was quite unknown,

started it
since no one was allowed into the Labyrinth where the
monster and sacrifices were locked up. The way he did it,
though, was not much of a mystery, since he wasn’t
allowed to bring armor and weapons into the maze. All we
know is, whatever happened in there, Theseus came out

all?
alive along with the other sacrifices and the Minotaur lay
When Theseus was growing up to be a man with a
dead in the Labyrinth.
strong and healthy body, he saw a lion standing on its
However, even with his wrestling skills and courage
hind legs. The lion approached town, and everyone ran
Theseus could not defeat the bull and come out alive on
away except Theseus. Astounded as he was to see a lion
his own. A spectator watched his arrival on shore and
walking up to him, he thought fast and picked up a club to
assisted his escape by handing him a ball of thread.
strike at the animal. At that point, the lion spoke. As
(Walking through a maze with a thread tied to the entrance
surprising as the encounter was, it was also the start to a
will prevent you from getting lost – except when the thread
new friendship when Heracles introduced himself and his
gets tangled.) The spectator was King Minos’s daughter,
and told Theseus his story. Theseus said that he was
Ariadne, who later married Theseus and lived happily
going to do things like that when he grew up, and as time
together. When Artemis killed her, Theseus was troubled
passed by, we saw that he did.
and forgot all about his promise to his father. As he sailed
home, he forgot to put a white flag on the ship’s mast. King
Aigeus saw the black flag was still on the ship, and he was
heart broken. Theseus’ failure to honor his promise caused
his father to die from grief even as the ship pulled into the
harbor.

52 THESEUS
 SPORT
S

Hang on
tight,
Peleus!
By Lillian Tran
Hang on tight he did. Peleus, son of Aiacos was
raised by Cheiron the Centaur, and so he learned how
to be fit. One day, Zeus came to him and said that he
had prepared a wife for him – the only condition was
that Peleus had to catch her. Although this may have
sounded easy, his soon to be wife was no ordinary
mortal. Her name was Thetis, and she was a nymph
who could change her shape. Peleus caught hold of
her wrists and held her tight, while she transformed
into a tree, eagle, tiger, lion, wind, fire, water, and
lastly, a squid. How exactly did he hang onto wind, fire,
and water? We are not quite sure, but the fact is that
he did. Their wedding was magnificent indeed – even
the gods even attended the feast.

PELEUS AND
THETIS 53
SPORT
S

Race for Life

By Lillian
Tran
Of course, a maiden who grew up in hardship would not
allow a father who abandoned her once to give her away
again so easily. Her father had wanted a son instead of a
daughter, so once Atalanta was born, he ordered his
servants to put her on a mountain to die. When Atalanta
arrived at his doorsteps for shelter one day, he was
surprised that she was even alive. Luckily, a few hunters
had found her on the mountain and raised her to be a
strong woman, as well as a master of the arts of wrestling,
like Theseus.
Her father decided to try to give her a husband so that
she would leave again, but she would only agree under
certain circumstances. Those conditions were that if
anyone wanted to wed her, he must run a race with her. If
he lost the race, he would lose his life. Anyone would have
thought that risking his life was foolish just for a girl, but
once you laid eyes on her, you would probably think twice.
A man named Milanion won her heart by finishing the race
first, with the help of Aphrodite and her three golden
apples. When Milanion was racing with Atalanta, he ran as
fast as he could and threw the apples to the floor. They
glimmered so much that it distracted Atalanta, who just
had to pick them up. Milanion gained some ground by
doing this, but soon after Atalanta caught up again.
However, the goddess Aphrodite was observing the race.
She followed through with her plan by increasing the
weight of the apples, which Atalanta had tucked into her
tunic. Atalanta felt the weight and soon slowed down and
admitted defeat.

54 ATALANTA
56 SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
SOMETHING
BEAUTIFUL 57
58 SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
SOMETHING
BEAUTIFUL 59
60 SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
SOMETHING
BEAUTIFUL 61
62 SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
SOMETHING
BEAUTIFUL 63
64 SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
SOMETHING
BEAUTIFUL 65
66 SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
SOMETHING
BEAUTIFUL 67
68 SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
SOMETHING
BEAUTIFUL 69
70 SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
SPECIAL FEATURE

Atalanta’s
Whereabouts
After Milanion defeated Atalanta in a race, they
both got married and rejoiced. Although Atalanta was
disappointed that someone had actually beaten her in
racing, she held her head up high. Soon after, Zeus caught
eye of her happy marriage and turned both her and her
husband into lions. The reason why he did this is still
unknown.
By Lillian
Tran
The next day we saw Milan throwing sharpened rocks at
a dummy and Lantis carving holes in a rock. They both
seem to be preparing themselves for the winter that is
coming up, like regular humans. Milan is trying to master
his hunting skills, while Lantis is honing her medicine/ life
skills. Milan seems to be telling us that although he has the
power to catch his prey easily with his speed and claws,
he enjoys using his brain and planning out strategies.
Atalanta has been running at least 10 kilometers a day
for fun. After careful examination, we see that she leaves
behind a rock each day for where she stops running and
surpasses it 1 kilometer everyday. Her goal must be to run
around the earth and come back to her home in one day.
Speaking of her home, Milanion and Atalanta made a
gigantic hole behind a waterfall. A perfect place for shelter,
food, and water was definitely in their mind when they
chose that spot.

After two months of being lions in the wild, we spotted one

of their offspring. He was trying to climb up a tree with his
four paws. Milanion was already sitting up on a branch
waiting for his young one. Even after several tries, Milan
was unable to climb the tree. but he kept on trying. Several
wounds were on his body, and blood was bound to come
next.
As predicted, blood did appear; soon, he was lying still on
the ground. Milanion jumped down with terror in his heart
that his only son might have used up all his energy and
died. Milan leaped on top of Milanion then sprinted up the
oak wood. “Don’t underestimate me dad, all I needed
was a boost, hehe!”
While Milan was training with his dad, his sister, Lantis, We weren’t allowed to actually enter inside of their home
was busy training herself. She was carefully cutting out all due to privacy issues, but according to the area of the hole
sorts of plants with her claws and dividing them into piles. and how large the mountain is, we can assume there is
We believe that her mother was teaching her the art of about 500 acres of land in there. Soil around a 10
medicine. After spotting the herb named borage, she went kilometer radius of the cave seems to be full of nutrients
to Atalanta, who was preparing dinner. and well taken care of, and the variety of plants seems to
The family was going to eat fish that night with berries. be over one-hundred. Although the MUSE report team was
When Lantis brought the borage, Atalanta crushed up the discovered by the lions, they did not retreat or attack but
flower and carefully sprinkled it on the fish. (The borage acted normally. We suppose that Atalanta wants the world
flower is used to add flavor and a beautiful finish to any to know the truth of what happened to her.
meal.)

72 ATALANTA’S WHEREABOUTS
DEAR
AMALTHEIA 73
 DEAR
READERS:
As you may know, our employees have gone
on strike due to a series of misunderstandings.
However, we did not want to affect your
monthly magazine with our squabbles, so we
recruited a handful of editors from a non-strike
zone to put together a magazine for you. In the
following pages, we have a page by page
record of who did what.

I hope you appreciate the first issue of 2009. If

you find it lacking, please remember that it was
created by a mere six people in a very short
amount of time!

KATELYN CHEN
katelyn.chen@musemagazine.com

74 JANUARY 2009 |
MUSEMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE DESCRIPTION TASK CREDIT

Cover Cover Yang Qu

Inside Ad (Painter’s Portraits) Sarah Sutton

Cover
1 Table of Contents Text, Pictures and Katelyn Chen
Layout
Collage Manasi Kasbekar

2 Table of Contents Text , Picture, and Katelyn Chen

Layout
Collage Manasi Kasbekar

3 Ad (Best Bows) Sarah Sutton

4 Staff Page Text and Pictures Katelyn Chen, Evie

Lee, Manasi
Kasbekar, Sarah
Sutton, Lillian
Tran, Yang Qu

Editing and Layout Yang Qu

Collage Manasi Kasbekar

5 Ad (Aphrodite’s Salon) Sarah Sutton

6 Editor’s Note Katelyn Chen

7 Letters Text Evie Lee, Sarah

Sutton, Lillian Tran

Pictures Manasi Kasbekar

Editing and Layout Katelyn Chen

8 Letters Text Manasi Kasbekar,

Yang Qu

Pictures, Editing, Katelyn Chen | JANUARY

MUSEMAGAZINE.COM
and Layout 2009 75
 12 News (Paris) Text Evie Lee

Picture and Layout Katelyn Chen

Editing Katelyn Chen and

Manasi Kasbekar

13 Ad (Makiyo for FBS) Yang Qu

14 News (Pandora’s Box) Text Evie Lee

Picture, Editing, Katelyn Chen

and Layout

15 News (Pandora’s Box) Text

Picture, Editing, Katelyn Chen

and Layout
16 News (Odysseus) Katelyn Chen

17 News (Odysseus) Katelyn Chen

18 News (Odysseus) Text Evie Lee

Picture Manasi Kasbekar

Editing and Layout Katelyn Chen

19 News (Odysseus) Text Evie Lee

Picture Manasi Kasbekar

Editing and Layout Katelyn Chen

20 Ad (Need a Little Boost?) Lillian Tran

21 News (Persephone: Text Evie Lee

Kidnapped)
Picture, Editing, Katelyn Chen
and Layout

22 News (Persephone: Text Evie Lee

Kidnapped)
Picture Manasi Kasbekar

Editing and Layout Katelyn Chen

76 JANUARY 2009 |
MUSEMAGAZINE.COM Ad (Changin’ Lives Lillian Tran
26 Literature (Your Text Yang Qu
Happiness Only)
Editing and Katelyn Chen
Layout
27 Literature (Your Text and Picture Yang Qu
Happiness Only)
Editing and Katelyn Chen
Layout

28 Ad (Artemis’ Apples and Drafts Lillian Tran

Aegean Water)
Editing Sarah Sutton
29 Ad (Goddess Jewelry) Yang Qu

30 Literature (Obsession) Text Yang Qu

Picture, Editing Katelyn Chen

and Layout
31 Literature (Obsession) Text and Picture Yang Qu

Editing and Katelyn Chen

Layout

32 Literature (Fade) Text and Picture Yang Qu

Editing and Katelyn Chen

Layout

33 Ad (Sacrificial Sheep) Sarah Sutton

34 Literature (3 Seconds) Picture Yang Qu

Layout Katelyn Chen

35 Literature (3 Seconds) Text Yang Qu

Picture, Editing Katelyn Chen

and Layout

36 Literature (3 Seconds) Text and Picture Yang Qu

Editing and Katelyn Chen

Layout
37 Reader’s Corner (Cartoon Text Yang Qu
and Review)
Picture Manasi Kasbekar
MUSEMAGAZINE.COM
and Yang Qu | JANUARY
2009 77
 39 Reader’s Corner (Reviews) Text Evie Lee

Picture Manasi Kasbekar

Editing and Layout Katelyn Chen

40 Reader’s Corner (God/Goddess Text Evie Lee and

Quiz) Katelyn Chen
Editing and Layout Katelyn Chen

41 Reader’s Corner (God/Goddess Text Evie Lee

Quiz)
Picture, Editing Katelyn Chen
and Layout

42 Reader’s Corner (God/Goddess Text Evie Lee

Quiz)
Picture, Editing Katelyn Chen
and Layout
43 Ad (Fluttering Feet) Sarah Sutton

44 Reader’s Corner (Heracles Text and Picture Lillian Tran

Quiz)
Editing and Layout Katelyn Chen

Collage Manasi Kasbekar

45 Reader’s Corner (Horoscopes Text and Pictures Lillian Tran

and Winners)
Editing and Layout Katelyn Chen

46 Reader’s Corner (Crossword) Crossword Sarah Sutton

Text and Layout Katelyn Chen

47 Reader’s Corner (Crossword) Crossword Clues Sarah Sutton

Layout Katelyn Chen

48 Sports (Heracles) Text Lillian Tran

Pictures Lillian Tran and

Katelyn Chen
78 JANUARY 2009 | Editing Katelyn Chen
MUSEMAGAZINE.COM
50 Sports (Theseus) Picture Sarah Sutton

Layout Katelyn Chen

51 Sports (Theseus) Text Lillian Tran

Picture and Layout Manasi Kasbekar

Editing Katelyn Chen

52 Sports (Theseus) Text Lillian Tran

Picture Yang Qu
Editing and Layout Katelyn Chen

53 Sports (Peleus and Thetis) Text Lillian Tran

Picture, Editing, Katelyn Chen

and Layout

54 Sports (Atalanta) Text Lillian Tran

Picture Lillian Tran and

Yang Qu
Editing Katelyn Chen
Layout and Manasi Kasbekar
Collage

55 Ad (Subscribe) Katelyn Chen

56 Photo Story (Something Yang Qu

Beautiful)
57 Photo Story (Something Yang Qu
Beautiful)

58 Photo Story (Something Yang Qu

Beautiful)

59 Photo Story (Something Yang Qu

Beautiful)

60 Photo Story (Something Yang Qu

Beautiful)

61 Photo Story (Something Yang Qu

Beautiful)
62 Photo Story (Something Yang Qu
Beautiful)

63 Photo Story (Something Yang Qu

Beautiful) MUSEMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY
2009 79
 67 Photo Story Yang Qu
(Something
Beautiful)

69 Photo Story Yang Qu

(Something
Beautiful)

70 Photo Story Yang Qu

(Something
Beautiful)

71 Ad (Ferdausi Yang Qu
Basilia Sax)

72 Special Feature Text, Picture, Lillian Tran

(Atalanta’s and Layout
Whereabouts)
Editing Katelyn Chen
73 Help (Dear Text and Layout Sarah Sutton
Amaltheia)

74 Credits (Dear Text and Layout Katelyn Chen

Readers)
Collage Manasi Kasbekar
75 Credits Text and Layout Katelyn Chen

Collage Manasi Kasbekar

76 Credits Text and Layout Katelyn Chen

Collage Manasi Kasbekar

77 Credits Text and Layout Katelyn Chen

Collage Manasi Kasbekar

78 Credits Text and Layout Katelyn Chen

Collage Manasi Kasbekar

79 Credits Text and Layout Katelyn Chen

Collage Manasi Kasbekar

80 Credits Text and Layout Katelyn Chen

Collage Manasi Kasbekar

80 JANUARY 2009 |
MUSEMAGAZINE.COM Staff, Publisher, Crossword Sarah Sutton
Staff
Editor-in-Chief Katelyn ChenSpecial thanks
News Editor Evie Lee to our publisher:
Literary/Feature Editor Yang Qu Meng Kuang
Editorial Cartoonist and Layout Editor CPO LTD
Manasi Kasbekar 2545 Scott
Managing Editor Sarah Boulevard
Sutton E-Mail contactus@musemagazine.com. Mail Muse Magazine, 8787 Santa Clara,
Muse Lane, CA
Mt. Olympus, Greece

Sports
HOW TO Editor Lillian
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