The Maiden Who Fell in Love With The Sun

The Beautiful Flor

Many, many years ago in Greece, there lived a beautiful girl named Flor. Her hair was the colour of golden wheat, and her eyes resembled the vast blue sea. After her parents died when she was very young, she lived alone in a small house on the side of a mountain. All the animals that inhabited the mountain were very fond of Flor, for she looked after them when they were ill and tended to their wounds when they were injured. In return, the animals brought her food to ensure she did not starve.

A Magical Encounter

One spring morning, just before daybreak, Flor suddenly woke up, convinced she had heard a strange noise. Although she could not see or hear anyone, she lit a lantern and ventured outside her little house. It was dark, and as she stood in the doorway, she beheld a wonderful sight. There, high on the mountainside, stood a handsome young man. She recognized him at once—he was Apollo, the god of the sun, preparing his golden chariot to ascend into the sky. As he rode off, a new day began, and the sun appeared above the earth.

Infatuation and Jealousy

From the moment Flor laid eyes on Apollo, she could not stop thinking about him. As he climbed higher and higher into the sky, she dreamed of the wonder it would be to join him and gaze across half the world. Back at home, she attempted to prepare a meal but found herself unable to concentrate, thoughts of Apollo consuming her mind.

Nearby, in a deep river, lived a wicked, evil genie named Grog. He had also seen Apollo riding into the sky and noticed Flor in the doorway of her house. Grog had been watching Flor as she worked each day and had fallen in love with her. However, upon seeing how she looked at the sun god, he realized she was in love with Apollo, igniting a furious jealousy within him.

The Kidnapping

Determined to possess Flor, Grog devised a plan to kidnap her, thinking that if he took her away, she would eventually come to love him. All morning, he plotted until, in the afternoon, he crept up the mountainside and captured Flor as she sat outside her house, combing her golden hair.

Flor struggled to escape, but Grog was far too large and strong. He carried her down the mountain to his river home. Desperate and unhappy, Flor did not want to marry the ugly, old genie or live at the bottom of his deep, dark river. She cried and screamed for help, her voice travelling to the people living at the foot of the mountain. However, they dared not attempt a rescue, fearing Grog’s wrath and the flooding it might cause.

A Ray of Hope

At the bottom of the river, where Grog lived, no sunbeams ever reached, for the genie despised Apollo and his golden rays. Flor knew that once submerged in the river’s depths, Apollo would never know she was there, and the thought made her scream even louder.

Far above, Apollo, now high in the sky, heard her pleas. He looked down and saw the beautiful girl captured by Grog. Feeling a deep pity for her, he gathered his strength and directed his largest and most powerful sunbeam down towards the river. Gradually, the water became hotter and hotter, bubbling and boiling until, eventually, the river dried up completely, leaving only a small pool of brown water where Grog had existed.

Love Prevails

When Flor sensed the water warming, she realized Apollo was helping her. She rushed away from the genie and climbed onto the riverbank. As dusk approached and Apollo descended from the skies, Flor stood waiting for him. Captivated by her beauty, Apollo fell in love at first sight and made her his wife. Thus, she became the goddess of the sun, joining Apollo each morning in his golden chariot to usher in a new day.

Since that time, in memory of Apollo’s help, flowers all over the world are seen glistening with drops of water on their petals at sunrise.