Atalanta

"Atalanta," the brown-haired girl replied. "I'm seventeen, and I'm a huntress."

Remus and Pecos Bill gasped, surprised at the fact that a girl could hunt. Romulus, on the other hand, let out a chuckle of doubt at the thought that a girl could hunt.

"Oh, please," Romulus mumbled.

"Listen, boy, I can hunt better than you AND I could beat you in a race. Watch your tongue before you say something you'll regret," Atalanta threatened.

"Settle down, now," Jane said. "Romulus, you need to be respectful of your peers. And Atalanta, please do not use threats in this classroom." Remus and Pecos Bill both quietly chuckled. Jane continued. "Please, Atalanta, tell us more about your skills." Romulus slouched back in his chair with his arms crossed.

"Of course," Atalanta replied with a smirk. "I can outrun anyone. I can run all day long. When I was just a little cub, I would run all around the forest, maneuvering around any obstacle that was presented in front of me. Trust me, I've only been caught up to once, and I'll tell you about that in a minute. Besides running, my bow and arrow skills are extraordinary. I don't mean to brag, but I never fail to strike my target. Sometimes I have to use a spear for close-up enemies, but the bow and arrow will always be my main weapon of choice."

"Wow, you sure do sound talented," Pecos Bill said.

"Yes, for a girl, Atalanta sound very talented," Tarzan chimed in. "You said 'when little cub'. But Atalanta human. Explain."

Atalanta let out a friendly giggle. "Women are just as talented as men are, Tarzan. It is wrong to assume that men are superior."

"I apologize for Tarzan's sexist comment, Atalanta. He still has a lot to learn. Because he spent a lot more time being feral, it has been taking a longer time for Tarzan to become more humanized. He means no harm though. But yes! Please tell us more about being a cub!" Jane said. With a smile on his face, Tarzan nodded.

"I will start from the top. My father's name is Iasus. He always wanted a son, so when I was born he was very upset. He was so upset that he left me on a mountaintop, as an infant, to die. Well, in his face. An amazing bear heard me crying while she searched for her own cubs, who were taken by hunters. According to her, I was so cute and innocent that she just had to take me in. I'm so glad she did. She was amazing. She was my mama bear, and that's exactly what I called her. I was her cub. She protected me with everything in her, and she made sure that no other bears would harm me. She was so protective that she wouldn't let me go too far from the den. But one day, I was napping in the den when all of a sudden a man saw me. It scared me, and so I started running as fast as my little legs could go. He wasn't the only one chasing me. There were three others. They caught up to me, and they took me to live with them on the other side of the forest. I never saw mama-bear again. I cried for days. I was so scared. But these men were so nice to me. They would take me hunting with them, and they even made me my first bow and arrow. They taught me everything I know about hunting, since mama bear always did the hunting for me. When I got older, King OEneus ordered a boar hunt against a boar that was ravishing all the crops and killing livestock. It was called the Calydonian Boar Hunt. The hunters and I decided to attend. When King OEneus saw me, he told me that I should go play with his daughters. HA, yeah right! All the men thought it was a joke that I was there. They said I should leave. Oh, I left all right. I left with the head and hide of that boar."

Remus' eyes were wide open with both shock and admiration. "Are you who they call... The Fleet...Footed... Huntress?"

"That's me!" Atalanta replied. "And guess what, after the hunt my father decided he finally wanted something to do with me. He couldn't ignore all the recognition that I was getting after I defeated the boar. He invited me to live with him. At the time, I didn't know that he had left me to die as a baby, so I agreed to live with him. I'm STILL living with him despite the anger I have toward him. I've only been with him for a few months now, and he's like begging me to get married. Apparently, that's what women are supposed to do. But that's not for me. He really won't get off my back about it, so yesterday I told him that I will marry the man who can beat me in a foot race. He's currently gathering suitors for the race. Joke's on him though. No one will ever beat me in a race. Once this race is over, I'm going back to the woods to find my mama bear."

"Atalanta, thank you so much for sharing your story with us. You appear to be a very strong, independent, and talented woman. In fact, thank you all for sharing your stories with us. Now you can see how different, yet how alike you all are. It is important that you all respect each other, and continue to learn from one another. There are so many valuable skills and lessons to be learned here, and I am excited to be a part of each one of your journeys," Jane said.

"Now, let us get started on today's lesson."

The End