Artemis and Orion

One day Artemis was bathing in the sacred pool when a young man named Actaeon happened to walk past. He had heard tales of the goddess, of course, but never had he imagined she was so beautiful. He stood entranced, staring, unable to move, hardly able to breathe.

When Artemis turned, she saw him standing there. Furious, she hurled a handful of water at him, and as the droplets touched his skin, he was transformed into a mighty stag. Then Artemis whistled for her hounds, and they raced toward her. Unaware this stag had once been young Actaeon, they tore him apart.

one day as Orion and his dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor, were hunting, he suddenly caught sight of something white in the bushes. Thinking this was a flock of rare birds, he moved in stealthily. When he was near, a flash of white swept past him, and that's when he saw these were no birds but a nymph dressed in white tunics.

Off they ran, Orion chasing the nymph. she was fast as the wind, but so was Orion, and he was big and strong. Then, just as he reached out to grab Merope's tunic, Artemis heard her cry for help, and just in time, she transformed the nymphs into seven white doves. Up and up and up they flew, into the bright winter sky

The goddess turned on Orion, but when she saw how strong and brave and quick and beautiful he was, she was dazzled. Before long they were hunting together, challenging each other to races and archery contests. At night they sat by a fire and told each other stories, and their laughter filled the forest. Soon they were fast friends

One night Apollo made Orion dream that a giant scorpion rose from the forest floor to challenge him. Orion reached for his sword and struck the creature, but he could not pierce its armor. All night long he fought the monster. Just before he woke, the deadly sting of the scorpion barely missed piercing his heart.

Meanwhile, Apollo went to see his sister. He told her that an evil man named Candaeon had attacked one of the forest priestesses and that Candaeon was trying to escape by swimming across the sea, hoping to escape Artemis' fury.

When they reached the shore, Apollo pointed in the distance at a tiny speck upon the water. "That is him," he said, though in truth the head he pointed to was Artemis' beloved Orion.Artemis loosed her arrow with unerring accuracy, and that arrow made its mark.

Apollo's relief alarmed his sister. "Who have I killed?" she asked, and when she learned she had killed her true friend, she frantically swam out to sea to retrieve his body.