In the Beginning

A tale of the ancient gods and our solar system

In The Beginning.



Venus tapped a dainty foot impatiently. "I'm bored. " She kicked out at her brother, who lay nearby.
Uranus groaned "Go away, I am tired.
The petulant voice continued. "I want to play, I'm bored. There's nothing on the vid-screen and I don't like the new compu-game that Mars has created; it's all about fighting, as usual." Her foot lashed out again.
Uranus sat up and yawned. "Oh, for heaven's sake, will you...."
His voice trailed off as the soft arms wound around his neck. "Please," Venus smiled up at him. She knew how to get around her big brother.
The others were now awake. Mars jumped to his feet. "Let us go out into the garden, I have made up another game. The girls can be the warriors from�."
"Shut up," Earth shouted. "You've woken the baby." Angrily she turned to her twin sister "It's your fault. Why couldn't you just go out on your own? Why wake every-body up?" Earth shook her dark locks. She was slightly larger than her sister and although a beautiful child could not compare with the slim figure of her twin. In a fair fight she had the advantage, but Venus never did play fair. Earth watched and sighed in exasperation as her rival turned limpid blue eyes towards Uranus. It upset Earth the way Venus always had the support of her brothers.
The baby whimpered and raised his arms. Earth picked him up and followed Venus and her two brothers, out into the garden.
Jupiter rolled over and nudged his wife. "It's lovely outside. Let's go and join in the game.
Juno shrugged "My dear brother I have more important things to do than play silly games, you go if you want to.


Saturn put down his spade and went over to the lawn where the children were gathered. "What are you squabbling about now?"
"I want to play," Venus said loudly.
"I want to fight," Mars shouted in response. "I want a new war game."
"Venus doesn't want to fight," his father told him.
The baby's voice joined in "Play, play, Daddy."
"No, fight. I want to fight," Mars insisted.
"No!" Earth retorted "You should create, not fight and destroy.
"I'm going to fight," Mars repeated stubbornly.
Jupiter's deeper tones were heard above the noise "They are bored father, they want a new game."
"Be quiet" Saturn shouted. When the noise had died down he continued "I have a new game for you."
"Love, love, love," Venus chanted.
"No, war, war; a new war game."
Earth stood with the baby, Pluto, in her arms and shook her head.
"Be quiet. " Saturn repeated, in a loud voice. "Your type of love causes wars madam and, as for you young man, all you want to do is destroy." Gently, he brushed a curl back from Earth's forehead. "And you, little mother, what do you want?"
Earth blushed and lowered her eyes "To create, Father, to make something beautiful."
"Create" Venus sniggered. "What is more beautiful than making love?"
"Or more glorious than battle." Mars shrieked.
"Earth knows nothing of beauty, look at her," Venus sneered. "I am the one who creates beauty."
Saturn took Earth's hand. He understood how his shy little daughter was bullied by the more forceful characters of her siblings. "This game is for you, little one. Come along, all of you." He led the way across the grass towards one of the greenhouses. "Wait here."


The children stood on the pathway, as their father went into the greenhouse, returning in a few minutes with a large container. "Now this is what you do," he explained. "First of all you must stand with your back to the greenhouse: I do not want any of the panes broken then, you take a ball from the bucket and throw it." Bending down, he took a large mass from the container and rolled it in his hands. "Now watch. The massive ball flew through the air and landed, spinning gently, on the far side of the lawn.
"Pwitty, pwitty" Pluto shouted, clapping his hands in glee.
Earth looked up at her father "It has a skirt. I love the bright colours, they flash as it swirls around. Can I try it?"
"In a minute dear, first of all I will explain the rules. My ball is the target. The one who throws nearest to the target is the winner.
"That's not fair," Venus grumbled. "The boys are bigger than us."
"No, I'm not," Mars interrupted.
"Jupiter and Uranus are, so they can't play."
"I want to play," Uranus shouted.
Saturn looked exasperated "You can all play. You fill your hands from the container, so, the bigger you are the bigger the ball will be that you must throw." He looked up at Jupiter. "You are even bigger than me. Do you want to go first and show the young ones how it's done?"
Jupiter filled his hands from the bucket and looked at the target. "Some pieces have broken off your ball, do they count?"
His father laughed "My aces son, they are called satellites; if you get too close and hit one of them you are disqualified. Oh, yes, and you mustn't pass my ball and go off into the vegetable patch or that will not count either."
Jupiter took his stance, flexed his bulging muscles and flung the ball. It landed quite close to his father's ball.
"Well done," Uranus applauded. "The skirt isn't as good as Dad's but you've got loads of little satellites."
They all stood and watched as a small figure approached. It was the young messenger Mercury. He went to Saturn "You are needed in the big house, sir."
As Saturn hurried away he turned to the group. "Let Mercury try; tell him what to do."
The rules explained, Mercury dipped his hands into the bucket then threw the ball high in the air. The children scattered as it came plummeting back down, narrowly missing Earth's head. "Oops, sorry," Mercury muttered. "I don't think I am much good at this game, I'd better go."
"He he" Mars giggled, pointing at the retreating back. "He almost finished up in the greenhouse, he'll fry."
"Fwy" Pluto chuckled, flapping his arms.
The others took up the chant "Mercury' s going to fry. Ha, ha, ha."
"What' s going on?" A voice interrupted their laughter, and their brother Neptune appeared around the end of the greenhouse.
"We're playing a game" Venus explained "That's Dad's ball. The one who gets nearest to it gets a prize."
"That seems simple enough." Neptune threw a ball and it sailed off to land in the cabbage patch.
"Tough, out, frozen out. " Mars chortled.
"Fwozen" Pluto repeated.
"What do you mean?" Neptune spluttered "I am as near as Jupiter."
Patiently, Earth explained the rules.
"And of course you didn't think of telling me that rule, about staying on the lawn, before I threw it." Her brother sneered "Stupid game anyway. I am going back to my fishing." Snatching up his trident, Neptune stormed off.
Uranus plunged his hands into the bucket and threw his ball.
"Nice shot," Jupiter sympathized. "It is nearer than mine. It's a pity that it is in among the turnips."
"Look, look." Mars was jumping up and down. "It's going around the wrong way."
"It's my spin," Uranus replied rather huffily. "I can't help it if I am left handed."
Mars went next "I'm going to have a red ball."
"Blood-thirsty little devil," Jupiter muttered.
"Yes," Mars shouted. "I've stayed on the pitch. I'm second." As the ball settled he screamed again. "And I have got two of those sati things."
"Satellites" Jupiter corrected automatically.
Earth carefully put the baby down and took her turn. Her ball fell short.
"Not as good as me." yelled Mars. "And you've only got one sali."
"Satellite. " Jupiter muttered again.
Earth turned, just in time to stop young Pluto from plunging head first into the bucket. He emerged, covered in grime, and grinning from ear to ear. "Me, me." In his hands was clasped a small ball, that was in danger of smearing every-one.
        "Here, let me help," Jupiter laughed. "I'll throw it for you." Pluto happily gave up his prize and sat down to watch his brother. Unfortunately, Jupiter did not allow for the smallness of the mass in his hand. It flew, far out, past Neptune's ball. "Sorry," he apologised.
"Out, frozen out," shouted Venus gleefully.
"Fwozen," grumbled Pluto, covering his face with his grubby hands.
"Yeah, but look at that, it's coming back," Mars chortled. "It's passed Neptune's ball. No, it's going the other way now. He, he, it's diddling about all over the place."
"I like beautiful things," Venus said, as she passed her hand over the ball she'd made, causing it to turn a bright orange. She threw her ball as hard as she could, but it didn't go very far, so she stamped her foot in annoyance. "Well, at least my ball is the prettiest, not an insipid blue colour like Earth's.
"But Earth beat you," Mars pointed out. "And yours is spinning the wrong way, like Uranus's ball."
"I don't care. It's a silly game, I don't want to play any more." Venus flung her blonde hair from her face and flounced off up the path towards the house. "I am going to tell Dad that you all cheated and you wouldn't let me win."
        Slowly the others followed, leaving the balls scattered across the garden. Jupiter lifted Pluto onto his broad shoulders then turned towards his young sister. "Coming?"
Earth shook her head. "No, I think I will stay here for a while." Jupiter nodded and walked away.


Earth moved towards her creation and sat down. "I do not like orange anyway." She smiled to herself. "They've all gone off and left their toys, but I won't leave you. We did not win Dad's game, and you aren't the biggest, or the prettiest, but you are going to be the best." She sat and thought for a moment, looking down at the small ball, floating near her hand. "Yes, I think you'll look much prettier if I grow things on you." Gently she trailed her fingers across the ball and where her fingers touched different shades of green began to appear.
Happily the young goddess began to hum to herself, pleased with the results. "I don't need to wait until I grow up to be a mother. You will be my baby. I'll call you Earth, after me. I will look after you and��" she paused, and with one pointed finger nail, she tickled her baby in one of the pale blue, sensitive areas. "Little creatures, just there. Later I will let them spread onto the green areas, when they get more stable." She began to think of the future. "Maybe I should give my creatures intelligence, then they will know me as their mother. They might even help me to take care of my baby earth."

Earth blew gently on the ball, to help it cool, then nodded. "Yes, quite a satisfactory beginning."