Hi, and welcome back to Kuala Moon, your podcast of original children's bedtime stories and meditations designed to make bedtime a dream. Hey, thank you for joining us. Evelyn who's just turned eight, and sister Ruby, and sisters b and Emmy. Okay, tonight, there's no preamble. I'm going to go straight into the story. I think it will speak for itself, and I hope you really enjoy it, because we are about to step back in time to the Olympic Games thousands of years ago, where there's a girl called Electra who decided that nothing and no one would stop her from taking part. This is Elektra at the Olympic Games by Luke Prendergast. As you probably already know, this year, the Olympic Games are being held in Paris. Athletes will gather in France to compete in all kinds of sporting events, from badminton to basketball, from gymnastics to judo. They'll race each other around tracks and jump into sandboxes and swim lengths in bright blue swimming pools. They'll all be trying to win one of those coveted medals gold, silver, and bronze. But did you know that the Olympic games started thousands of years ago in ancient Greece. Back then there were fewer sports, racing and wrestling and riding horses around in chariots. And back then only men were allowed to compete. No women today. That seems very unfair, indeed, but that's just where it was back then. Those were the rules. Only men were allowed to be the Olympic athletes. But tonight, I've got a story for you about the one little girl who refused to accept things for just the way they were. Her name was Elektra, and she lived in the little town of Olympia in Greece, where the ancient Olympic Games were held. More than anything in the world, she wanted to play in the games, and she wasn't going to let anyone tell her that that wasn't allowed. Would you like to hear her story? Okay, then settle in, make sure you're nice and snug in your bed as we let our minds roll back almost three thousand years to the world of ancient Greece. Picture rolling hills and olive trees and the clear blue waves of the Ionian Sea lapping gently against the rugged rocks and sandy beaches. That's it. Let's travel there together. Take a deep breath, let's go. The townsfolk of Olympia were inundated with visitors. Travelers had arrived from far and wide across Greece, from Athens and Sparta, from Ithaca and Crete, and some even came from further flung countries, from the Golden cities of Turkey and Egypt. They came with bags of belongings, newly sown togas, pots of rare spices, and other gifts. They pitched tents, or stayed with friends, or poured into the town's inns and hotels to see if there were any rooms to spare. And they were all there for one thing, only to watch the Olympic Games. The Olympics were held every four years at the temple that stood on the top of the hill next to the town. The strongest, fastest, most nimble athletes came together to race and wrestle, throw javelins and discusses, and gallop horses around in huge dust cloud races. There was only one problem. Kids weren't allowed to compete. This caused the kids who lived in Olympia much annoyance. They stamped their feet and clenched their fists. It wasn't fair that they couldn't compete. Why did they have to wait until they were sixteen? But the adults of Greece would not relent. They put their feet down, as adults often do. The kids would have to wait until they were grown up to participate in the Olympic Games. No ifs, no buds, no questions, and so presented with an obstacle they couldn't break through, like a huge boulder blocking a mountain footpath, they were forced to find another solution. If they weren't allowed to compete in the adults Olympic Games, well then they would set up their own. When a lecture heard about this, she felt her whole body go tingly with excitement. He Electra had lived in Olympia for her whole entire life, which to be fair, was only nine years. But for each and every one of those years, as long as she could remember, she had dreamed about taking part in the Olympics. She would listen avidly to stories her parents and her grandparents told about tense competitions and breathtakingly close races from Olympic Games of the past. When the games took place four years ago, there she was in the crowd perched on the stone seats of the Temple amphitheater, clapping and cheering as the athletes showed off their sporting prowess. And every day after school she would practice her throwing and her running out in front of the house. Milw She squealed at her big brother, who was busy doing his homework on a wax tablet on the grassy area in front of their house, This might actually be my chance. And with that, Electra hurried up the dirt road in between the groves of fruit trees to the playground at the foot of the Temple Hill. Here was where all the kids would meet up after school to swing from ropes hung from the olive tree branches, or play hopscotch or tag. But when she got there, Electra found that the other kids had already started setting up for their own Olympics. Her race track had been etched in the dust around the perimeter of the playground, and piles of sticks collected from the nearby woods had been chopped into perfect sizes to be used as javelins. As she entered Elektra heard one boy say to another, my dad, donkey is going to be way faster than your dad's donkey, you'll see. Electra saw her friend Ajax, surrounded by a group of other kids. He was peering around the playground with his eyebrow raised. Ajax was very tall and very strong, definitely the best sportsman at school. Of course, it would have been him who'd organized the kid's Olympics. Hi, Ajax, Electra said, giving him a wave. Ajax smiled, Oh, hi, Electra, what you doing here? Electra explained to Ajax that she had come to sign up for the Olympic Games. It was such a good idea, she told him. She'd been dreaming of the opportunity to take part all her life, and now she'd finally got the chance. So where could you sign up? As she was speaking, Ajax glanced at the boy to his right. Then he glanced at the boy to his left. A kind of embarrassed, guilty expression crept over his face. Sorry, Electra, Ajax said, when she was done talking. But you can't sign up. Electra felt her jaw tightened. And why not, she asked, Well, said Ajax, because the Olympic Games are just for boys. Now, she felt her face get hot, and why is that? She asked that doesn't seem fair at all. Well, you see, Ajax replied, those are what the rules. Just like in the adult Olympic Games, it's just for men to take part in, but kids aren't allowed in the adult Olympic Games. Electra reasoned, and that's why you've set up the kids Olympic Games, because you didn't think it was fair. So why not let girls play too? Why are you being fair to some people and not to others. Electra thought that this was a pretty fool proof argument, sensible, considered rational, but Ajax only shook his head. Sorry, Electra, that's just the way it is. No girls allowed, no ifs, no butts. In the pockets of her tunic, Elektra's fists tightened. She felt rather upset about what Ajax had said, but she didn't want to hear man the other boys to see that their words had affected her, So she turned on her heel and made her way back down the dirt track to her family's home. When she reached it, her brother Milo was still sat outside writing on his wax tablet. Milo was more than just her brother. He was her best friend in the whole wide world too. He was a very sensitive boy. He could always tell when something was affecting someone, even if that person was trying to hide it. So when he saw Electra approach, he could tell right away that something wasn't right. Come and sit next to me, Electra, he said, and tell me all about it. Electra went and sat beside her brother on the grass and told him what had happened down at the playground. He listened attentively, nodding his head and blinking his eyes as she told her story. So that's that, Electra said. At last, what do you mean that's that? Asked Milo. Well, that's my dreams of being in the Olympics over, she explained. Milo paused and touched a finger to his chin in contemplation. I don't think so, he said. Of course it is, said Electra, a little sullenly. I'm not allowed to compete. Milo turned to her and said, the thing is, Electra, when you come across a hurdle that's too big to jump over, sometimes what you have to do his think up a way not to get over it, but to go around it. Electra's eyes went wide with curiosity. Go around it, she repeated. Milo nodded, what do you mean? Well, said Milo, what I mean is if you're not allowed to play as you can, you think of a way of getting around that. Electra tugged at some blades of grass in front of her hm She said, I guess I could dress up as a boy and trick them. It was the silliest idea she could think of, so silly that she glanced bashfully at Milo out of the corner of her eye. But the look on Milo's face did not seem to suggest that he thought it was such a silly idea. You've got to be joking, she said to him. Milo shrugged. If you really want to play in the Olympic Games, he said. Electra looked at her brother, at the little smile flickering around the corners of his mouth, and she felt her own lips spreading into a big, bright grin. Dress up as a boy, she thought, trick them. Well. It was a crazy idea that was for sure completely bonkers, but it might just work. Milo, she said, I'm going to need your help, and so Electra and Milo got to work. They went into the bedroom they shared and rooted around in Milo's wardrobe for some of his old tunics that he had long since grown out of. They found one with a pale blue trim that fitted Electra just perfectly, and some old they are the sandals that tied up around the ankle too. Now, said Milo, We're going to have to do something about your hair. My hair, Electra repeated, clutching at her dark brown curls that fell at a well below her shoulders. What do we need to do about my hair? There aren't many boys with hair like yours around here, Milo said, so do I need a wig? Milo opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of scissors. I'm thinking more like this, he said. Electra gulped, but in the end it wasn't so bad. At first, her heart was in her mouth as she heard the scissors going snip, snip, snip, and watched as ringing its so dark hair fell to the floor around her. But then she began to find it rather exciting, as though she were taking on a new identity and becoming a spy preparing to set out across the Mediterranean Sea on a secret mission for Greece. And when Milo was done, she looked in the mirror on the wall and marveled, Wow, Milo, she said, you can hardly recognize that I'm me That's kind of the point, isn't it, he said. Now, there's just one last thing. You've got to come up with a new name for yourself. A new name. Electra asked, Yes, silly, Milo said, you can't be telling everyone you're Electurer, otherwise they'll see right through your disguise. No, you need a new name and a new identity. You can be a kid who's come to Olympia with their parents, especially to see the games from another Greek island. Yes, you can be visiting from Skyros. Your name will be Milo raised his eyebrows as he waited for Electra to answer. She wanted the perfect name. She racked her brains, and then it came to her. She would take the name of her favorite hero from all the Greek myths, Hercules, she said. Milo smiled. Hercules, the master of overcoming obstacles, he said, neat. Soon the day of the kid's Olympic Games arrived, and Electra, in her disguise as Hercules, got up early. She did her stretching, she practiced her throat. She made sure her dad's donkey, Plato, was well fed on barley and oats, then slipping some apples into her blue trim tunic. She led him up to the playground, where crowds of kids were already congregating. She spotted Ajax in the middle of the playground and went up to him. Ah, I'd like to sign up for the games, she said, in her best boy voice. Ajax studied her face suspiciously. Okay, he said at last, But who are you. My name is Hercules, I'm visiting here from Skyros, Elektra said, and I'm here to take part in the games. Ajax raised an eyebrow at her, but signed her up anyway. It worked, she whispered to Milo. Yes, he replied. Now you've just got to compete. Electra nodded, looking around her at all the other athletes. The competition that bit, at least she was prepared for, and yet, as the announcer gathered the athletes together and declared that the first ever Kid's Olympic Games was about to commence, Electra felt a little tremble of trepidation. The other athletes looked strong, and not just because they were boys. She watched as they limbered up and prepared. She could see now she would have to use all of her wilds and smarts to triumph over them. First up was the javelin, or, as the Kid's Olympics would have it, the throwing of whittled down sticks. The athletes lined up and select did their sticks from the pile. Electra took one that looked particularly narrow and errow dynamic. She'd need hers to whizz through the air on more than just her arm strength alone. One by one, the athletes threw their sticks. They flew up into the air and landed on the other side of the playground. Electra hung back, watching, and as she did, she noticed that there was a perfect angle to throw the stick. Too high in the stick wouldn't travel far enough, but too low and it would pelt straight into the ground. Ajax, with his strong arms, got his the furthest but Electra thought she might just be able to beat him. When it came to her turn, Elektra drew her arm back and aimed at just the right midpoint. Her stick whistled through the air like an arrow. It had gone the furthest out of all of them. She was in the lead. Nice one in hercules, Ajax said, sounding both gruff and impressed. Next up came the high jump, which was a new sport invented just for the Kid's Olympics. The announcer took up his position next to a fig tree with big leaves in the shape of hands. The aim of the game, he explained, was to jump as high as you could to pluck a leaf from the tallest part of the tree. Whoever got a leaf from the highest up was the winner. Elektra looked around her. There were a couple of older athletes there who were shorter than her, but she was very nearly the smallest person there. There was no way that she could jump higher than the boys who had gone through all their growth spurts already. This, she thought, didn't seem fair at all, but she held her tongue as she watched one boy after another jump and pluck big, five fingered leaves from the branches of the tree. Ajax, by far jumped the highest. It was almost as though he had springs built into his feet. When it came to a Lectra's turn, it was just as she expected. She jumped the highest jump she could, but still only managed to snatch a leaf from the middle portion of the tree. That wasn't fair, she whispered to Milo. When she went and stood by him. You and Ajax the neck and neck. Now he whispered back, and it's the last round of the competition, the chariot race. You've got to think outside the box, remember, Electra nodded and went to fetch Plato the donkey. In the grown up Olympics, the competitors raced around in charriers led by gleaming white horses with strong legs and rippling manes. But the kids didn't have any horses, so they had to borrow their parents donkeys for their version. Plato had been an Electra's family for many years, and though he was getting old, he was still a plucky little donkey. We've got to win, Plato, Electra said, and Plato gave a little snort of agreement. But then they saw Ajax's donkey, a strong young creature with a glistening gray coat and special golden shoes on her feet to make her run faster. No way anyone is beating me on the donkey race, Ajax boasted, Elektra gritted her teeth. As they gathered at the starting line. The announcer put a whistle to his mouth and gave it a sharp toot. The donkey race had begun off they trotted at a fair clip, all the old donkeys from around town. They tottered around the playground, kicking up little clouds of dust. Go on, Plato called Electra, and Plato started trotting even quicker. But no matter how much she urged him on, he wouldn't go quicker than Ajax's amazing donkey. Oh no, Electra whispered, We're going to lose. But then she remembered her brother's words. She had to think outside the box. If she couldn't make Plato run any quicker by asking him to, well, then maybe there'd be another way around that problem. Electra slipped her hand into her tunic and felt the apples, which she had stored there earlier, just in case Plato got peckish. Now, Plato was a very obedient donkey. He always wanted to make Electra happy, but he was also a rather greedy little donkey, and Electra knew full well that a little encouragement in the form of a sweet treat could go a long way in getting him to move. So very surreptitiously, she took out one of the apples and threw it up ahead of her, so that it rolled almost as far as Ajax up ahead. As soon as Plato saw the apple, his ears pricked up, and suddenly he found a reserve of energy that hadn't been there before. He cantered forward and munched up the apple, and when he'd had that, one, Elektra through another, and then another, until Ajax himself had to watch, wide eyed, stupefied, as Elektra and Plato sailed past him. From the stand, she could hear milow cheering. Plato chased a bright red apple straight over the finish line, and Electra felt a wave of joy move through her. She hadn't only competed in the Olympic Games, she'd won. They lined up to accept their medals, the shining silver disk falling around Ajax's neck and the golden one around elektras Ajax extended a handout. Congratulations Hercules, he said, the best man truly did win. Not quite, Electra said, with a little grin. What do you mean, asked Ajax. Well, Electra said, look closer. Ajax peered into her face, and then his eyes began to widen in recognition Electra. He whispered, is that you? Electra nodded, It really is, you, said, I wasn't allowed to play, so I took matters into my own hands. Ajax looked at her in silence for a few moments, and then a big smile stole across his face. I guess I was wrong, he said, very wrong. Indeed, girls should absolutely be able to play in the Olympic Games, and from now on they always will be. He turned to the crowd. Let's put our hands together, he called for our Olympic champion Electra, and Electra watched us all around her. The crowd of kids clapped and clapped. She had never felt more proud of herself. After the celebration, Electra and Milo walked home, leading Plato behind them. Night had begun to fall. Long shadows fell from the olive trees, and up above them, the moon goddess had come out and was shining down upon them. Crickets chirruped from the undergrowth. And now that the Olympic Games were over, Electra felt very tired. Indeed, you've had a long day full of physical activity. Milo said, no, wonder you're tired. Electra let out a big yawn, and because yawns are catching, Milo let out a big yorn too. You did something truly wonderful today, Electra, he said, as their house appeared in front of them. You wouldn't let things stay just the way they were. You changed the world a little bit for the better. Or at least he changed Olympia. Electra smiled at her big brother. Thanks, Milo, she said, I really couldn't have done it without you, though. You gave me the best advice I've ever had. When you come across a hurdle, you can't jump over. You have to find a way, not to get over it, but around it. I'll remember that forever. They went into their house, where a warm meal of fresh bread and olives waited for them. When they were fed, sleepiness took over them, and Electra and Milo headed for their room. Electra slipped off her boy's tunic and put on her sleeping gown. She looked in the mirror and decided she rather liked her new hairstyle. She'd keep it that way after all. She climbed into bed, and Milo asked if she'd like him to tell her a bedtime story to fall asleep to. Ah. Yes, please, elect Just said she adored Milo's stories. They were always so inventive, so full of adventure, so quick to warm her to the depths of her soul. What's tonight's story going to be about, well, said Milo, tucking himself into his bed. Tonight's is a special story. It's about a girl called Electra who found a way to get around a hurdle that seemed too high to jump. What do you think would you like to hear that story? Electra smiled. She could feel her eyes already getting heavier. Yes, she told Milo, already feeling as though she were drifting off to sleep. That story sounds just

Hi, and welcome back to Kuala Moon, your podcast of original children's bedtime stories and meditations designed to make bedtime a dream. Hey, thank you for joining us. Evelyn who's just turned eight, and sister Ruby, and sisters b and Emmy. Okay, tonight, there's no preamble. I'm going to go straight into the story. I think it will speak for itself, and I hope you really enjoy it, because we are about to step back in time to the Olympic Games thousands of years ago, where there's a girl called Electra who decided that nothing and no one would stop her from taking part. This is Elektra at the Olympic Games by Luke Prendergast. As you probably already know, this year, the Olympic Games are being held in Paris. Athletes will gather in France to compete in all kinds of sporting events, from badminton to basketball, from gymnastics to judo. They'll race each other around tracks and jump into sandboxes and swim lengths in bright blue swimming pools. They'll all be trying to win one of those coveted medals gold, silver, and bronze. But did you know that the Olympic games started thousands of years ago in ancient Greece. Back then there were fewer sports, racing and wrestling and riding horses around in chariots. And back then only men were allowed to compete. No women today. That seems very unfair, indeed, but that's just where it was back then. Those were the rules. Only men were allowed to be the Olympic athletes. But tonight, I've got a story for you about the one little girl who refused to accept things for just the way they were. Her name was Elektra, and she lived in the little town of Olympia in Greece, where the ancient Olympic Games were held. More than anything in the world, she wanted to play in the games, and she wasn't going to let anyone tell her that that wasn't allowed. Would you like to hear her story? Okay, then settle in, make sure you're nice and snug in your bed as we let our minds roll back almost three thousand years to the world of ancient Greece. Picture rolling hills and olive trees and the clear blue waves of the Ionian Sea lapping gently against the rugged rocks and sandy beaches. That's it. Let's travel there together. Take a deep breath, let's go. The townsfolk of Olympia were inundated with visitors. Travelers had arrived from far and wide across Greece, from Athens and Sparta, from Ithaca and Crete, and some even came from further flung countries, from the Golden cities of Turkey and Egypt. They came with bags of belongings, newly sown togas, pots of rare spices, and other gifts. They pitched tents, or stayed with friends, or poured into the town's inns and hotels to see if there were any rooms to spare. And they were all there for one thing, only to watch the Olympic Games. The Olympics were held every four years at the temple that stood on the top of the hill next to the town. The strongest, fastest, most nimble athletes came together to race and wrestle, throw javelins and discusses, and gallop horses around in huge dust cloud races. There was only one problem. Kids weren't allowed to compete. This caused the kids who lived in Olympia much annoyance. They stamped their feet and clenched their fists. It wasn't fair that they couldn't compete. Why did they have to wait until they were sixteen? But the adults of Greece would not relent. They put their feet down, as adults often do. The kids would have to wait until they were grown up to participate in the Olympic Games. No ifs, no buds, no questions, and so presented with an obstacle they couldn't break through, like a huge boulder blocking a mountain footpath, they were forced to find another solution. If they weren't allowed to compete in the adults Olympic Games, well then they would set up their own. When a lecture heard about this, she felt her whole body go tingly with excitement. He Electra had lived in Olympia for her whole entire life, which to be fair, was only nine years. But for each and every one of those years, as long as she could remember, she had dreamed about taking part in the Olympics. She would listen avidly to stories her parents and her grandparents told about tense competitions and breathtakingly close races from Olympic Games of the past. When the games took place four years ago, there she was in the crowd perched on the stone seats of the Temple amphitheater, clapping and cheering as the athletes showed off their sporting prowess. And every day after school she would practice her throwing and her running out in front of the house. Milw She squealed at her big brother, who was busy doing his homework on a wax tablet on the grassy area in front of their house, This might actually be my chance. And with that, Electra hurried up the dirt road in between the groves of fruit trees to the playground at the foot of the Temple Hill. Here was where all the kids would meet up after school to swing from ropes hung from the olive tree branches, or play hopscotch or tag. But when she got there, Electra found that the other kids had already started setting up for their own Olympics. Her race track had been etched in the dust around the perimeter of the playground, and piles of sticks collected from the nearby woods had been chopped into perfect sizes to be used as javelins. As she entered Elektra heard one boy say to another, my dad, donkey is going to be way faster than your dad's donkey, you'll see. Electra saw her friend Ajax, surrounded by a group of other kids. He was peering around the playground with his eyebrow raised. Ajax was very tall and very strong, definitely the best sportsman at school. Of course, it would have been him who'd organized the kid's Olympics. Hi, Ajax, Electra said, giving him a wave. Ajax smiled, Oh, hi, Electra, what you doing here? Electra explained to Ajax that she had come to sign up for the Olympic Games. It was such a good idea, she told him. She'd been dreaming of the opportunity to take part all her life, and now she'd finally got the chance. So where could you sign up? As she was speaking, Ajax glanced at the boy to his right. Then he glanced at the boy to his left. A kind of embarrassed, guilty expression crept over his face. Sorry, Electra, Ajax said, when she was done talking. But you can't sign up. Electra felt her jaw tightened. And why not, she asked, Well, said Ajax, because the Olympic Games are just for boys. Now, she felt her face get hot, and why is that? She asked that doesn't seem fair at all. Well, you see, Ajax replied, those are what the rules. Just like in the adult Olympic Games, it's just for men to take part in, but kids aren't allowed in the adult Olympic Games. Electra reasoned, and that's why you've set up the kids Olympic Games, because you didn't think it was fair. So why not let girls play too? Why are you being fair to some people and not to others. Electra thought that this was a pretty fool proof argument, sensible, considered rational, but Ajax only shook his head. Sorry, Electra, that's just the way it is. No girls allowed, no ifs, no butts. In the pockets of her tunic, Elektra's fists tightened. She felt rather upset about what Ajax had said, but she didn't want to hear man the other boys to see that their words had affected her, So she turned on her heel and made her way back down the dirt track to her family's home. When she reached it, her brother Milo was still sat outside writing on his wax tablet. Milo was more than just her brother. He was her best friend in the whole wide world too. He was a very sensitive boy. He could always tell when something was affecting someone, even if that person was trying to hide it. So when he saw Electra approach, he could tell right away that something wasn't right. Come and sit next to me, Electra, he said, and tell me all about it. Electra went and sat beside her brother on the grass and told him what had happened down at the playground. He listened attentively, nodding his head and blinking his eyes as she told her story. So that's that, Electra said. At last, what do you mean that's that? Asked Milo. Well, that's my dreams of being in the Olympics over, she explained. Milo paused and touched a finger to his chin in contemplation. I don't think so, he said. Of course it is, said Electra, a little sullenly. I'm not allowed to compete. Milo turned to her and said, the thing is, Electra, when you come across a hurdle that's too big to jump over, sometimes what you have to do his think up a way not to get over it, but to go around it. Electra's eyes went wide with curiosity. Go around it, she repeated. Milo nodded, what do you mean? Well, said Milo, what I mean is if you're not allowed to play as you can, you think of a way of getting around that. Electra tugged at some blades of grass in front of her hm She said, I guess I could dress up as a boy and trick them. It was the silliest idea she could think of, so silly that she glanced bashfully at Milo out of the corner of her eye. But the look on Milo's face did not seem to suggest that he thought it was such a silly idea. You've got to be joking, she said to him. Milo shrugged. If you really want to play in the Olympic Games, he said. Electra looked at her brother, at the little smile flickering around the corners of his mouth, and she felt her own lips spreading into a big, bright grin. Dress up as a boy, she thought, trick them. Well. It was a crazy idea that was for sure completely bonkers, but it might just work. Milo, she said, I'm going to need your help, and so Electra and Milo got to work. They went into the bedroom they shared and rooted around in Milo's wardrobe for some of his old tunics that he had long since grown out of. They found one with a pale blue trim that fitted Electra just perfectly, and some old they are the sandals that tied up around the ankle too. Now, said Milo, We're going to have to do something about your hair. My hair, Electra repeated, clutching at her dark brown curls that fell at a well below her shoulders. What do we need to do about my hair? There aren't many boys with hair like yours around here, Milo said, so do I need a wig? Milo opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of scissors. I'm thinking more like this, he said. Electra gulped, but in the end it wasn't so bad. At first, her heart was in her mouth as she heard the scissors going snip, snip, snip, and watched as ringing its so dark hair fell to the floor around her. But then she began to find it rather exciting, as though she were taking on a new identity and becoming a spy preparing to set out across the Mediterranean Sea on a secret mission for Greece. And when Milo was done, she looked in the mirror on the wall and marveled, Wow, Milo, she said, you can hardly recognize that I'm me That's kind of the point, isn't it, he said. Now, there's just one last thing. You've got to come up with a new name for yourself. A new name. Electra asked, Yes, silly, Milo said, you can't be telling everyone you're Electurer, otherwise they'll see right through your disguise. No, you need a new name and a new identity. You can be a kid who's come to Olympia with their parents, especially to see the games from another Greek island. Yes, you can be visiting from Skyros. Your name will be Milo raised his eyebrows as he waited for Electra to answer. She wanted the perfect name. She racked her brains, and then it came to her. She would take the name of her favorite hero from all the Greek myths, Hercules, she said. Milo smiled. Hercules, the master of overcoming obstacles, he said, neat. Soon the day of the kid's Olympic Games arrived, and Electra, in her disguise as Hercules, got up early. She did her stretching, she practiced her throat. She made sure her dad's donkey, Plato, was well fed on barley and oats, then slipping some apples into her blue trim tunic. She led him up to the playground, where crowds of kids were already congregating. She spotted Ajax in the middle of the playground and went up to him. Ah, I'd like to sign up for the games, she said, in her best boy voice. Ajax studied her face suspiciously. Okay, he said at last, But who are you. My name is Hercules, I'm visiting here from Skyros, Elektra said, and I'm here to take part in the games. Ajax raised an eyebrow at her, but signed her up anyway. It worked, she whispered to Milo. Yes, he replied. Now you've just got to compete. Electra nodded, looking around her at all the other athletes. The competition that bit, at least she was prepared for, and yet, as the announcer gathered the athletes together and declared that the first ever Kid's Olympic Games was about to commence, Electra felt a little tremble of trepidation. The other athletes looked strong, and not just because they were boys. She watched as they limbered up and prepared. She could see now she would have to use all of her wilds and smarts to triumph over them. First up was the javelin, or, as the Kid's Olympics would have it, the throwing of whittled down sticks. The athletes lined up and select did their sticks from the pile. Electra took one that looked particularly narrow and errow dynamic. She'd need hers to whizz through the air on more than just her arm strength alone. One by one, the athletes threw their sticks. They flew up into the air and landed on the other side of the playground. Electra hung back, watching, and as she did, she noticed that there was a perfect angle to throw the stick. Too high in the stick wouldn't travel far enough, but too low and it would pelt straight into the ground. Ajax, with his strong arms, got his the furthest but Electra thought she might just be able to beat him. When it came to her turn, Elektra drew her arm back and aimed at just the right midpoint. Her stick whistled through the air like an arrow. It had gone the furthest out of all of them. She was in the lead. Nice one in hercules, Ajax said, sounding both gruff and impressed. Next up came the high jump, which was a new sport invented just for the Kid's Olympics. The announcer took up his position next to a fig tree with big leaves in the shape of hands. The aim of the game, he explained, was to jump as high as you could to pluck a leaf from the tallest part of the tree. Whoever got a leaf from the highest up was the winner. Elektra looked around her. There were a couple of older athletes there who were shorter than her, but she was very nearly the smallest person there. There was no way that she could jump higher than the boys who had gone through all their growth spurts already. This, she thought, didn't seem fair at all, but she held her tongue as she watched one boy after another jump and pluck big, five fingered leaves from the branches of the tree. Ajax, by far jumped the highest. It was almost as though he had springs built into his feet. When it came to a Lectra's turn, it was just as she expected. She jumped the highest jump she could, but still only managed to snatch a leaf from the middle portion of the tree. That wasn't fair, she whispered to Milo. When she went and stood by him. You and Ajax the neck and neck. Now he whispered back, and it's the last round of the competition, the chariot race. You've got to think outside the box, remember, Electra nodded and went to fetch Plato the donkey. In the grown up Olympics, the competitors raced around in charriers led by gleaming white horses with strong legs and rippling manes. But the kids didn't have any horses, so they had to borrow their parents donkeys for their version. Plato had been an Electra's family for many years, and though he was getting old, he was still a plucky little donkey. We've got to win, Plato, Electra said, and Plato gave a little snort of agreement. But then they saw Ajax's donkey, a strong young creature with a glistening gray coat and special golden shoes on her feet to make her run faster. No way anyone is beating me on the donkey race, Ajax boasted, Elektra gritted her teeth. As they gathered at the starting line. The announcer put a whistle to his mouth and gave it a sharp toot. The donkey race had begun off they trotted at a fair clip, all the old donkeys from around town. They tottered around the playground, kicking up little clouds of dust. Go on, Plato called Electra, and Plato started trotting even quicker. But no matter how much she urged him on, he wouldn't go quicker than Ajax's amazing donkey. Oh no, Electra whispered, We're going to lose. But then she remembered her brother's words. She had to think outside the box. If she couldn't make Plato run any quicker by asking him to, well, then maybe there'd be another way around that problem. Electra slipped her hand into her tunic and felt the apples, which she had stored there earlier, just in case Plato got peckish. Now, Plato was a very obedient donkey. He always wanted to make Electra happy, but he was also a rather greedy little donkey, and Electra knew full well that a little encouragement in the form of a sweet treat could go a long way in getting him to move. So very surreptitiously, she took out one of the apples and threw it up ahead of her, so that it rolled almost as far as Ajax up ahead. As soon as Plato saw the apple, his ears pricked up, and suddenly he found a reserve of energy that hadn't been there before. He cantered forward and munched up the apple, and when he'd had that, one, Elektra through another, and then another, until Ajax himself had to watch, wide eyed, stupefied, as Elektra and Plato sailed past him. From the stand, she could hear milow cheering. Plato chased a bright red apple straight over the finish line, and Electra felt a wave of joy move through her. She hadn't only competed in the Olympic Games, she'd won. They lined up to accept their medals, the shining silver disk falling around Ajax's neck and the golden one around elektras Ajax extended a handout. Congratulations Hercules, he said, the best man truly did win. Not quite, Electra said, with a little grin. What do you mean, asked Ajax. Well, Electra said, look closer. Ajax peered into her face, and then his eyes began to widen in recognition Electra. He whispered, is that you? Electra nodded, It really is, you, said, I wasn't allowed to play, so I took matters into my own hands. Ajax looked at her in silence for a few moments, and then a big smile stole across his face. I guess I was wrong, he said, very wrong. Indeed, girls should absolutely be able to play in the Olympic Games, and from now on they always will be. He turned to the crowd. Let's put our hands together, he called for our Olympic champion Electra, and Electra watched us all around her. The crowd of kids clapped and clapped. She had never felt more proud of herself. After the celebration, Electra and Milo walked home, leading Plato behind them. Night had begun to fall. Long shadows fell from the olive trees, and up above them, the moon goddess had come out and was shining down upon them. Crickets chirruped from the undergrowth. And now that the Olympic Games were over, Electra felt very tired. Indeed, you've had a long day full of physical activity. Milo said, no, wonder you're tired. Electra let out a big yawn, and because yawns are catching, Milo let out a big yorn too. You did something truly wonderful today, Electra, he said, as their house appeared in front of them. You wouldn't let things stay just the way they were. You changed the world a little bit for the better. Or at least he changed Olympia. Electra smiled at her big brother. Thanks, Milo, she said, I really couldn't have done it without you, though. You gave me the best advice I've ever had. When you come across a hurdle, you can't jump over. You have to find a way, not to get over it, but around it. I'll remember that forever. They went into their house, where a warm meal of fresh bread and olives waited for them. When they were fed, sleepiness took over them, and Electra and Milo headed for their room. Electra slipped off her boy's tunic and put on her sleeping gown. She looked in the mirror and decided she rather liked her new hairstyle. She'd keep it that way after all. She climbed into bed, and Milo asked if she'd like him to tell her a bedtime story to fall asleep to. Ah. Yes, please, elect Just said she adored Milo's stories. They were always so inventive, so full of adventure, so quick to warm her to the depths of her soul. What's tonight's story going to be about, well, said Milo, tucking himself into his bed. Tonight's is a special story. It's about a girl called Electra who found a way to get around a hurdle that seemed too high to jump. What do you think would you like to hear that story? Electra smiled. She could feel her eyes already getting heavier. Yes, she told Milo, already feeling as though she were drifting off to sleep. That story sounds just