Phaeton learns from his mother that his father is Apollo, the sun god. When Phaeton demands proof from Apollo, Apollo agrees to grant his son's wish. Phaeton asks to drive Apollo's sun chariot for a day. However, Phaeton loses control of the chariot and horses, nearly setting the earth on fire. Zeus strikes the chariot down to save the earth, killing Phaeton. Apollo is left lonely after losing his son.

1. Phaeton and the Sun Chariot
Retold by:
John Brumm
Carson Huber
Payton Cornelius

2. Once there was a boy named Phaeton. When he grew older he was curios who his
father was. So Phaeton went to his mother to ask her. When he did she answered,
”Your father is Apollo, the god of the sun.

3. As soon as he heard these words he was in shock. So he started going around telling
people that his father was Apollo, but nobody believed him. So he went out to find his
father on Mt. Olympus.

4. On his long journey Phaeton faced many challenges. When he got there, he asked
Apollo if he could give proof that he was his father.

5. Apollo gave proof by giving his promise to grant whatever his son wanted. So Phaeton
asked to drive the sun chariot for a day. Apollo said, ”Driving the chariot is beyond
your power . Not even the great Zeus can drive the chariot of the sun.”

6. Eventually Phaeton got his way and got to drive the sun chariot. But before he drove
the sun chariot he had to put sunscreen on his face. He also had to put on Apollo’s
crown in order to be able to bring the sun across the sky.

7. As he took off, his father yelled, “Don’t pull on the reigns too hard. It upsets the
horses.” As he was going across the sky the sun was burning his skin. Phaeton tried to
wipe sweat off his skin and as he did the horses took off leaving him to plummet to
the ground in the chariot.

8. As he hit the ground it made a gigantic crater. Later on that day his father realized he
didn’t receive back his chariot, horses, or his son. The next day Hermes gave Apollo
the news that Zeus had hit the chariot to prevent the Earth from catching on fire and
that the horses had gotten away safely but Apollo’s son was not so lucky.

9. So from then on Apollo vowed to never let anyone but him drive the chariot. He kept
that promise forever.

10. Apollo lived a lonely and sad life after his son died. When he was lonely he played a
sweet song on his lyre.

11. When Phaeton died, that’s how the gods explain how the sun ended up in space.
The End!