Theseus and the Minotaur: Story for Kids!

Once upon a time, there was a man named King Minos. King Minos was an evil king who lived on an island called Crete. On this island, King Minos had a pet called a Minotaur. A Minotaur is half man, half bull. The Minotaur was a scary pet, so King Minos hid him in a maze called a labyrinth.

King Minos had a son named Androgeus. One day, Androgeus went to the city of Athens to play in a game called the Panathenaic Games. While playing in the Panathenaic Games, Androgeus was killed. King Minos was upset that his son had died in Athens, and he wanted revenge.

King Minos told the King of Athens that if he would send 7 boys and 7 girls to his island of Crete for him to feed to the Minotaur, then he would not attack the city of Athens. The King of Athens agreed to send 7 boys and 7 girls to evil King Minos to keep his city safe.

For three years, the King of Athens sent 7 boys and 7 girls to the island of Crete to be placed in the labyrinth with the Minotaur. Since the labyrinth was a maze, the boys and girls could not escape, so they would be eaten by the Minotaur.

In the third year, the son of the King of Athens told his father that he wanted to be one of the 7 boys who was sent to the island of Crete. This man was named Theseus. Theseus told his father to send him to the island of Crete so that he could be sent into the labyrinth. Theseus told his father that he would kill the Minotaur to end the yearly sacrifices.

The King of Athens told his son no. He did not want his son to go to the labyrinth of the Minotaur because he knew his son would be eaten. Theseus promised his father that he would make it out alive, and then Theseus got on the boat and sailed to Crete.

When Theseus got to Crete, he saw the evil King Minos. Standing next to King Minos was a beautiful young woman. Theseus was in awe of her beauty. She was the daughter of King Minos, and her name was Princess Ariadne. Theseus and Princess Ariadne looked at each other with loving eyes. Princess Ariadne knew that Theseus would be put into the labyrinth with the Minotaur. She knew that he would be eaten if she did not help him.

The night before Theseus entered the labyrinth with the Minotaur, Princess Ariadne appeared. She was holding a ball of string and a sword. Princess Ariadne told Theseus to tie the string to the entrance door of the labyrinth. She told Theseus to unravel the ball of string as he went through the labyrinth. This way, he would be able to find his way out of the labyrinth after he killed the Minotaur with the sword.

The next day, Theseus and the children from Athens stood by the entrance of the labyrinth waiting to be thrown in. Theseus was hiding the ball of string and sword. When they were thrown into the labyrinth, the door was shut behind them. Theseus told the boys and girls to stay by the door with the string while he went into the labyrinth alone. Theseus unraveled the ball of string as he walked through the labyrinth.

Theseus found the Minotaur and used the sword that Princess Ariadne had given him to kill the minotaur. When the Minotaur had died, Theseus followed the string back to the entrance of the labyrinth where the children waited.

Theseus knocked on the door of the labyrinth where Princess Ariadne opened the door. Theseus had killed the Minotaur, and no children from Athens ever had to be eaten again!