Athena’s Magical Flute - Greek Mythology Story for Kids

Athena and her best friend Pallas love playing beautiful music together, so they eagerly sign up for Litropia’s first Fabulous Flautist Competition. Both are determined to do their best while cheering each other on along the way. But Athena’s prideful father, Zeus, zaps Pallas’s confidence when he tries to give Athena an unfair advantage. Athena must help her friend find the courage to stay and teach the king of the gods a lesson about honest competition, friendship, and the joy of celebrating the success of others.

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PARENTS, TEACHERS AND HOMESCHOOLERS: Athena's Magical Flute is a story about supportive friendships, good sportsmanship, and respectful competition. As Athena and Pallas prepare for a flute competition, they demonstrate how friends can encourage and support one another even when participating in the same competitive event. When Zeus's desire to see Athena win leads him to doing something unfair, the story explores the importance of honesty, taking responsibility for mistakes, and repairing relationships through sincere apologies. Ultimately, the episode celebrates the joy of celebrating another person's success.

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS STORY with Greek Mythological characters, we think you’ll also enjoy episode 128, Hercules and the Heroes: https://jonincharacter.com/hercules-and-the-heroes/

CREDITS: This episode is a Jonincharacter production. It was written by Rebecca Cunningham, directed and produced by Molly Murphy and performed by Jonathan Cormur. Sound recording and production by Jermaine Hamilton at Pacific Grove Soundworks.

Visit the official Dorktales shop, Once Upon A Merch at dorktales-shop.fourthwall.com to find fun merch inspired by our podcast.

Transcript

Jonathan 0:00

Hello, Dork Squad. I'm Jonathan Cormur, and you're listening to Dork Tales Storytime, the podcast for kids and their pop culture loving grown-ups.

Theme Song 0:14

It's a beautiful day for a story, an adventure, and glory. New friends and old ones, too. It's an excellent day to get swept away in a tale, so let us regale

Honorable Mention

Theme Song 0:28

you.

Jonathan 0:43

Hey Reg, how's it going?

Redge 0:45

Well, hello, Jonathan. It's going marvelously. Thank you for asking.

Jonathan 0:55

You seem like you're in a good mood.

Redge 0:58

Well I am. Listen.

Jonathan 1:06

Where did that come from?

Redge 1:08

Do you mean my fabulous magical flute?

Jonathan 1:12

Yes.

Redge 1:13

Well I always have my fabulous flute, Jonathan.

Jonathan 1:17

You do?

Redge 1:18

Well no, I just got it a few weeks ago. But I was just given an honorable mention award in Lit ropia's fabulous flautist competition.

Jonathan 1:30

Hey, that's awesome.

Redge 1:32

I know. The competition today was fierce.

Jonathan 1:36

Oh yeah? Who was there?

Redge 1:39

Oh do I have a story for you about this competition?

Jonathan 1:44

You have a story for me today? That's exciting.

Redge 1:48

Isn't it just so exciting? And it involves one of your favorite things.

Athena Mythology Recap

Redge 1:54 Jonathan 1:54

Oh?

Redge 1:55

Mythology!

Jonathan 1:57

That is one of my favorite things.

Redge 2:00

It's important to set the scene with a little dive into the past.

Jonathan 2:05

I'm ready.

Redge 2:07

Well, a long, long time ago, like thousands and thousands of years ago, there was a great god named Zeus, who lived at the very top of a mountain called Mount Olympus. Have you heard of him?

Jonathan 2:24

The king of the gods? The one that likes to create lightning and thunder?

Redge 2:30

That's him, precisely. Well, one day

Zeus 2:34

Oh, I've got such a headache.

Jonathan 2:38

The king of the gods got a headache?

Redge 2:40

It wasn't just a headache. Inside his head was his daughter, and she was ready to be born.

Jonathan 2:48

All right, I forgot about this.

Redge 2:51

It's not logical, but we'll just go along with it.

Jonathan 2:55

Aye aye, Captain

Redge 2:57

So Zeus has an idea.

Zeus 3:00

Hephaestus, I'm going to need to hire you to split my head open.

Hephaestus 3:05

You want me to do what to the king of the gods? I could never.

Zeus 3:10

I'm asking you to do it. Now trust me and split my head open.

Hephaestus 3:16

Okay, whatever you say, boss.

Jonathan 3:19

Oh, I know what happens. Hephaestus reluctantly grabbed the sharpest axe he could find and split Zeus's head open.

Redge 3:27

That's right. And out popped the goddess of wisdom, war, and crafts.

Athena 3:34

Hey Dad, nice to meet you. I'm Athena.

Redge 3:38

Now, despite the whole headache thing, Zeus loved Athena.

Jonathan 3:44

What wasn't there to love? She guided heroes on their adventures, planted olive trees in the ground using just a spear. She could weave like no one has ever woven before.

Redge 3:56

And she invented this

Jonathan 3:59

The Flute?

Redge 4:00

Yes, siree, Bob.

Jonathan 4:02

The flute I didn't know that. That's really cool.

Besties Athena and Pallas

Jonathan 4:07 Redge 4:07

Now, as you know, Athena didn't grow up on Mount Olympus.

Jonathan 4:13

She didn't?

Redge 4:15

Well of course not. She lives on an island near Legend Lake, made up of glaciers, ice, and snow. Legends say it's called Winter Wonder Island.

Jonathan 4:27

There's a winter island near Legend Lake? How?

Redge 4:32

According to tales. You know that Legend Lake is full of mysterious mysteries.

Jonathan 4:38

Have you been there?

Redge 4:40

Well, I hear it's very cold. And like most things in Legend Lake, it's impossible to find. But anyway, let me tell you how she got there.

Jonathan 4:50

Oh I would love to know.

Redge 4:52

So on Winter Wonder Island there was an emperor penguin named Triton.

Zeus 4:57

Hey, Triton, love the tux.

Triton 5:00

Oh thanks, Zeus. I just had it preened.

Zeus 5:04

It looks really spiffy. Listen, I need you to do me a favor.

Triton 5:08

Your wish is my command.

Zeus 5:10

Can you look after my daughter Athena? She's my favorite kid and will one day become one of the most important gods of all time. If you screw this up, I'll have you banished to Hades. But you know, no pressure.

Triton 5:25

Gee. Okay, I think I can do that. My daughter Pallas has always wanted a sister.

Zeus 5:31

Thanks, Triton.

Redge 5:33

So Athena moved to Winter Wonder Island to live with Triton and his daughter Pallas.

Jonathan 5:39

That must have been really hard for her.

Redge 5:42

True. Must have been hard to leave Mount Olympus, the only world she had ever known. But Triton was a really nice penguin, and so was his daughter Pallas. Pallas taught Athena how to do all sorts of penguin things, like how to catch fish.

Pallas 5:59

Okay, hold my wing. We're gonna jump off this ice cliff together, then dive down deep into the ocean to catch a fish for dinner. You ready?

Athena 6:09

Do I hold my breath?

Pallas 6:13

Can you breathe underwater?

Athena 6:15

Guess we'll find out.

Redge 6:20

And how to slide across ice on their bellies.

Pallas 6:23

Whee! Isn't this fun?

Athena 6:26

Is it possible to get brain freeze on your belly?

Redge 6:29

Pretty soon, Pallas and Athena were more than sisters. They were besties.

Jonathan 6:35

Aww. Just like us, Redge.

Redge 6:37

Yes, just like us. And in exchange for all of the wonderful things Pallas taught her, Athena whittled a flute out of unmeltable ice and taught her how to play it.

Pallas 6:49

That's so kind of you. Thanks, Athena.

Athena 6:52

Of course, try it out.

Redge 7:06

Well, we can't all be as good at the flute in the beginning like I am. But practice makes perfect. So Athena and Pallas spent their days doing just that, to the point where Pallas was pretty much just as good at the flute as Athena. The inventor of the flute.

Jonathan 7:24

Well, that's gotta be pretty good.

Redge 7:26

Absolutely. Apparently, if you're living in Legend Lake and you open your window, you can hear the sounds of their flute duets floating over the water.

Jonathan 7:37

Wow, that's beautiful.

Redge 7:39

Ah yes, beautiful.

The Flute Competition

Redge 7:42 Jonathan 7:42

Oh wait, Litropia's Fabulous Flautist competition.

Redge 7:46

What about it?

Jonathan 7:48

Well, isn't that where your story was going?

Redge 7:51

Oh right Wow, storytelling takes a lot of concentration.

Jonathan 7:57

Don't I know it?

Redge 7:58

Now let us speed to the not so distant past. Just a few weeks ago, in fact, when Mayor Martindale Nightingale made an announcement.

Mayor Martindale Nightingale 8:08

Hear ye, hear ye. In just a few short weeks, we shall host the Litropia's very first fabulous flautist competition.

Redge 8:19

Mayor Martindale is a huge fan of music, you know, given that he's a nightingale.

Jonathan 8:24

Yeah, makes sense.

Mayor Martindale Nightingale 8:25

Whoever wins shall be given the key to the city.

Redge 8:32

Now I didn't know what it would mean to have the key to the city, but it sounded so important. And you know I love a little competition, so of course I had to sign up.

Jonathan 8:45

Even though you had never played.

Redge 8:48

That's never stopped me before. I bought a flute at Windy the Whale's Wind Instrument shop, and I got to fluting.

Jonathan 9:04

Ah, okay, all right. Thanks for the example, Redge.

Redge 9:08

You're welcome. Word made its way to Winter Wonder Island, and who else do you think decided to sign up for the competition?

Jonathan 9:17

Athena and Pallas.

Redge 9:19

Correct. But the trouble was everything they did they did together. They always supported one another. Their friendship was never about winning or competition.

Athena 9:31

Let's make a promise. No matter who wins, we'll be happy for the other.

Pallas 9:36

I promise.

Athena 9:38

I promise too.

Redge 9:40

They both practiced and practiced, sometimes giving one another notes and always cheering each other on.

Jonathan 9:47

Aw, that's so sweet.

Redge 9:50

Then came yesterday, the day of the Litropia's fabulous flautist competition. Athena, Pallas, and Triton made their way to the God of Dance Theatre, where the competition was being held. And when they opened the doors, who do you think they saw?

Jonathan 10:10

Uh you?

Redge 10:11

Well, yes, I was there, but that's not who I'm talking about. They saw Zeus.

Zeus Plays Unfair

Redge 10:17 Jonathan 10:18

He was at the competition? The king of the gods was here yesterday?

Redge 10:24

Yes. Somehow wood made its way to Mount Olympus, and Zeus was not going to pass up the chance to see Athena compete.

Athena 10:33

Dad, why are you here?

Zeus 10:35

Can't a father take his time out of his busy schedule to see his most favoritist daughter beat the pants off of these other noobs.

Athena 10:46

Uh, Dad. Thank you for coming, but please don't embarrass me.

Zeus 10:53

No one will even notice I'm here.

Athena 10:56

You're like a thousand feet tall. And whenever you move your hands, lightning strikes out of them.

Zeus 11:03

All right, they'll know. But I'll be quiet. I promise. I love you, my favorite little headache.

Athena 11:12

I love you too.

Zeus 11:14

Zeus fully expected Athena to win, given that she was, you know, the inventor of the flute. And let's be honest, everyone else thought that too. Though I did think I could give her a run for her money.

Jonathan 11:28

Yeah, naturally.

Redge 11:30

First I went, and I did fabulously. I played my own rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and the crowd loved it.

Jonathan 11:41

Oh, that's awesome, Redge.

Redge 11:43

Then, contestant after contestant took their turn on stage. There were some very talented flautists. Who knew there were so many in the Litropia?

Jonathan 11:54

Well, certainly not me.

Redge 11:56

But Zeus knew none of them were as good as his daughter. So he sat quietly as he promised her, and even fell asleep through a few of them. Then Athena took the stage, and she was fantastic. I had never heard the flute played like that before. She had the whole crowd clapping along with her, and Zeus enjoyed it most of all, sending sparks of lightning every time he clapped. Her song ended, and she took a big bow, then got a standing ovation, and of course, supporting her in the front row were Triton and Pallas.

Jonathan 12:46

Just like they promised.

Redge 12:48

Then, last but not least, Pallas walked on to the stage. You can tell she was nervous, having to follow an act like Athena, but she knew she could do anything with the support of her best friend. She took a deep breath, put the flute to her beak, and started to play. Some even started to cry. It was so beautiful.

Jonathan 13:27

Are you crying now, Redge?

Redge 13:31

Only a little. It was just so touching.

Jonathan 13:36

It's wonderful what music can do.

Redge 13:39

Truly. But there was someone who wasn't as touched.

Jonathan 13:43

Who?

Redge 13:45

Zeus. Everyone in the Litropia knew that Pallas was an extraordinary talent, but Zeus did not. It was shocking to him that someone could beat his favorite child. He was not going to have any of it.

Jonathan 13:59

Uh oh.

Redge 14:01

He angled his shield so that it bounced off the light coming from the spotlight, momentarily blinding Pallas. The light was so bright that she threw the flute up in the air and it landed in the audience right on Mayor Martindale Nightingale's head.

Mayor Martindale Nightingale 14:17

Oh oi, I have got such a headache.

Redge 14:20

Pallas was so embarrassed that she ran off the stage and out of the theatre, leaving her flute and the whole competition behind.

Athena 14:29

Pallas, wait.

Redge 14:31

Athena tried to stop her, but it was too late. Pallas was already out the door, making her way back to Legend Lake. Before Athena could follow her, Zeus flew over to

Athena Scolds Zeus

Redge 14:42

stop her.

Zeus 14:42

Daughter, where are you going? They haven't announced the winner yet.

Athena 14:46

Did you have something to do with this?

Zeus 14:49

Do with what? The weather creating all of mankind creating you

Athena 14:55

You know what I'm talking about. Did you mess up Pallas' performance?

Zeus 15:00

Me? Never. I'm the king of the gods. I'm perfect.

Redge 15:06

As you may remember, Jonathan, all the gods were imperfect, even Zeus.

Athena 15:13

Dad?

Zeus 15:15

Fine. Yes it was me. But she was about to win. I couldn't have someone else beat my most favoritist daughter. That would be embarrassing.

Athena 15:27

Dad, Triton and Pallas took me in. They raised me and loved me. Pallas has taught me so much. She's my best friend, and you've embarrassed her in front of all of Litropia.

Zeus 15:40

Well, when you put it like that.

Athena 15:43

You owe her an apology.

Zeus 15:46

Fine. But where did she run off to?

Triton 15:49

Well, she may have already taken a Litropia taxicab to the road, taken a magical carriage to the third turn on the left, and reached the border of Legend Lake. Uh your Highness.

Zeus 16:01

Triton, she wait, how did she go so fast?

Triton 16:06

Once Upon A Time is very magical.

Zeus 16:08

I'll say.

Athena 16:10

Dad

Zeus 16:11

Oh right. Uh we should go to her. Zeus lifted Athena and Triton, and in a flash they caught up with Pallas, who was swimming her way back to Winter Wonder Island.

Athena 16:22

Pallas, come back.

Pallas 16:25

No thanks. I'm too ashamed to show myself again.

Zeus 16:28

Dad. On it, sweetie.

Redge 16:32

Naturally, Zeus can control everything on the planet. So we alter the currents of the lake to bring Pallas back to

Zeus Apologizes

Redge 16:39

shore.

Pallas 16:40

That's really not nice of you, Mr. Zeus.

Zeus 16:42

I know. I haven't been very nice lately. But to be fair, that's not my forte. Um Pallas, I must apologize. I was the one that blinded you while you were on stage.

Pallas 16:58

Why would you do that?

Zeus 17:01

It's difficult for a father to see his daughter lose in front of all of the Litropia, especially considering my status. Still, I should have never done that to you. You and your father have done so much for me in raising Athena, and I can tell she's turned out to be a very decent hearted goddess because of you.

Triton 17:21

Oh, thank you, your Majesty.

Pallas 17:24

Yeah, thanks. And I understand.

Athena 17:28

Now, will you come back with us to the theater? They're going to announce the winner soon.

Pallas 17:32

Well, okay, I can do that.

Redge 17:35

Zeus scooped them all up and made it back just in time to watch me be given my honorable mention certificate.

Jonathan 17:43

Thank goodness.

Redge 17:45

Right? Good thing Zeus is so magical and could travel fast. It was a wonderful night.

Jonathan 17:54

So is that the end of the

Who's the Winner?

Jonathan 17:57

story?

Redge 17:58

Oh yes, well, then it was time for the top three finalists. In third place was

Mayor Martindale Nightingale 18:04

Wendy the Whale.

Redge 18:17

Then second place was

Mayor Martindale Nightingale 18:19

the Goddess Athena.

Redge 18:32

Pallas gave Athena a huge hug. Triton gave her a fatherly pat on the back, and Zeus roared a loud, thunderous roar as Athena went on stage to accept her trophy.

Mayor Martindale Nightingale 18:46

And the winner of this year's fabulous flautist competition is Pallas!

Redge 19:01

The whole crowd went wild! Tears filled Pallas' eyes. She could hardly believe it, but Athena knew she could do it all along. Hey. Are you crying, Jonathan?

Jonathan 19:18

Well, it's just so touching. It's a beautiful story about friends supporting one another.

Redge 19:26

Yes, you you are just so right. So, uh did I do a good job telling the story?

Jonathan 19:34

An excellent job.

Redge 19:36

Woohoo! Celebration flute

Jonathan 19:40

Ah yes. That's so That's so Beautiful.

Redge 19:59

Yes, quite. Now we should find Legend Lake again. I would love to hear Athena and Pallas playing while sitting by the water. And maybe I can get a few pointers on my fluting.

Jonathan 20:10

Sounds like a perfect adventure to me.

Redge 20:12

Huzzah! To Winter Wonder Island we go!

Credits and How to Contact Us

Redge 20:16 Jonathan 20:18

This has been a Jon in Character production. This story was written by Rebecca Cunningham, directed and produced by Molly Murphy, and performed by Jonathan Cormur. Sound recording and production by Jermaine Hamilton at Pacific Grove Soundworks. We love hearing from you. Contact us at DorkTalestorytime at gmail.com or try our one-way text feature as a safe way to reach out. You can find even more ways to reach us in the show notes. Now, go be the hero of your own story, and we'll see you next once upon a time.