The death of Adonis is a fundamental part of Greek mythology and one of its most touching stories. Accidentally wounded by one of Eros' arrows, the goddess Aphrodite desperately falls in love with the handsome Adonis, son of a King and a beauty among mortals. Yet his only passion is hunting, and he refuses to take her warnings seriously when he hears about a great boar he would love to slay. There is something of the idea of coming of age in this tale, when the moment of realisation brings forth the understanding of what could have been and where the real beauty lays. This short story is a retelling of the ancient myth, in great detail and with an elegant style that will edify children and adults alike.—