Have you ever heard of a girl who could run faster than the wind? Her name was Atalanta, and she lived in a sunny land a long, long time ago. Atalanta loved to run more than anything! She could outrun deer, and some said even the fastest horses. She wasn't very interested in getting married. "Running is much more fun!" she'd say.

Her father, the King, wanted her to find a nice young man. So he made a rule: "Any young man who wants to marry Atalanta must race her. If he wins, he can marry her. If he loses, well, he has to go home very, very disappointed."

Lots of young men came. They were strong, they were brave, but none of them were as fast as Atalanta. WHOOSH! She’d be at the finish line before they were even halfway.

Then came a young man named Hippomenes. He was clever, and he thought Atalanta was wonderful. But he knew he couldn't beat her in a fair race. "Hmm," he thought, "I need a super-duper plan!"

So, Hippomenes went to ask for help from Aphrodite, a kind goddess who loved to see people happy. Aphrodite smiled and gave him three shiny, golden apples. These weren't just any apples; they sparkled and looked too beautiful to ignore. "Use these wisely," she told him.

The day of the big race arrived. BANG! The race started. Atalanta, as usual, zoomed ahead like a rocket.

Hippomenes, huffing and puffing, took out the first golden apple and rolled it gently to the side of the track. Atalanta saw it sparkle. "Ooh, what's that?" she thought. It was so pretty, she just had to stop and pick it up. While she did, Hippomenes ran past her!

Atalanta quickly started running again and soon caught up. So, Hippomenes rolled out the second golden apple. Again, Atalanta couldn't resist. It was even shinier than the first! She stopped, picked it up, and Hippomenes took the lead again.

Now they were near the finish line. Atalanta was running her fastest. Hippomenes, with a big effort, threw the third golden apple a little further off the track. This one was the most dazzling of all! Atalanta really, really wanted it. She dashed to get it, and just as she scooped it up, Hippomenes crossed the finish line! He won, by just a tiny bit!

Atalanta wasn't even mad. She was impressed by Hippomenes's cleverness and, well, the apples were very lovely. They became great friends, and soon, they decided they liked each other enough to get married.

But oh dear! In all their excitement, Hippomenes and Atalanta forgot to say a big "thank you" to Aphrodite for the golden apples. Aphrodite, who liked good manners, decided to teach them a little lesson. She turned them both into magnificent, swift lions!

So, Atalanta and Hippomenes spent the rest of their days running wild and free as the fastest lions in the land, always together. And maybe, just maybe, they remembered to be grateful from then on!

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