Way back, when the world was still quite new and figuring things out, the giant gods called Titans were in charge. The biggest and most important Titan was Saturn. He was the king, super strong, but also super worried. You see, Saturn had heard a little secret: one of his own children would one day be even stronger than him and take over his job as king! Saturn did NOT like that idea, not one tiny bit.

So, whenever his wife, the kind goddess Ops, had a new baby god, Saturn would do something rather surprising. He’d pick up the baby and… GULP! He’d swallow them whole! One after another, his little god-babies went right into his tummy. Poor Ops was so sad to see her children disappear like that.

But when her newest baby, a little boy god named Jupiter, was born, Ops had a very clever idea. She found a big, smooth stone, about the size of a baby. She wrapped it up snugly in a soft baby blanket and gave it to Saturn. Saturn, who wasn't paying too much attention, just saw a bundle and GULP! Down went the stone, just like that!

Phew! Baby Jupiter was safe! Ops quickly and secretly sent him far away to a hidden cave on an island called Crete. There, friendly nature spirits called nymphs and a very special goat named Amalthea took care of him. Jupiter drank Amalthea’s yummy milk, played with the nymphs, and grew bigger and stronger every single day. He had no idea he was a super-special god-baby who was supposed to be in his dad’s tummy!

Years and years went by, and Jupiter grew into a very strong, brave, and smart young god. Finally, Ops told him the whole story: about his grumpy dad Saturn, the swallowed stone, and all his brothers and sisters stuck inside Saturn’s belly. Jupiter knew he had to do something to save them.

So, Jupiter, with a little help from a wise goddess, got a special drink. Some say it was a magic potion, others say it just made Saturn feel a bit wobbly. Jupiter disguised himself and went to his father, Saturn, offering him this special drink. Saturn, who was always a bit thirsty, drank it all down.

And then… WHOOSH! First, out popped the big stone that Saturn had swallowed all those years ago! It landed with a THUD. Then, one by one, out popped Jupiter’s brothers and sisters! There was Neptune, who loved the sea; Pluto, who was a bit quiet and liked underground places; Juno, who was very regal; Ceres, who loved growing things; and Vesta, who liked warm fires. They were all grown up now, a little dizzy from being inside Saturn for so long, but very, very happy to be free!

Well, Saturn was NOT happy to see all these children suddenly appear. And the other Titans weren’t too pleased either. So, a GIANT, super-powered fight began! It was Jupiter and his newly-freed brothers and sisters (who became known as the Olympian gods) against Saturn and the old Titans. Mountains shook, lightning flashed (Jupiter found out he was very good at throwing lightning bolts!), and the whole world rumbled and tumbled. It was the biggest, loudest, most amazing battle you could ever imagine!

After a long, long time of battling, Jupiter and his Olympian family won! They were stronger, and Jupiter was a very clever leader. They sent Saturn and the other not-so-nice Titans to a far-away, gloomy place where they couldn't cause any more trouble.

And so, Jupiter, the baby who was saved by a clever mom and a wrapped-up stone, became the new King of all the Gods! He built a beautiful palace on top of Mount Olympus, shared his power with his brothers and sisters, and ruled over all the gods and all the people on Earth. He made sure things were (mostly) fair, and he always had a big, booming laugh. And that’s how Jupiter became the boss of everyone in the sky and on the land!

1457 Views