The Iliad

Look at the big wooden horse. It is so tall and stands outside a city with big, big walls. The horse has a secret. A very big secret inside. For a long, long time, brave soldiers from Greece wanted to get inside the city of Troy, but the walls were too high to climb. So, they made a very clever plan and built the big wooden horse. This is the wonderful story of the Iliad, and the famous Trojan Horse.

One day, the soldiers left the big wooden horse on the beach. They pretended to sail their boats far away. The people of Troy saw the giant horse. 'What a wonderful gift!' they cheered. They pulled the big wooden horse into their city. Pull, pull, pull. Everyone was so happy. They had a big party with happy singing and fun dancing. Then, it was time to sleep. Shhh. The city was quiet and the moon was bright and high in the sky. Suddenly, a little door on the horse’s tummy opened with a creak. One by one, the secret soldiers inside climbed out. They tiptoed to the big city gates and opened them wide for all their friends waiting outside. It was the biggest surprise ever.

Because of the clever trick, the long, long war was finally over. The story of the big wooden horse is very, very old. Long ago, people in a place called ancient Greece would sing the story as a long poem to remember the brave heroes and their smart idea. The story teaches us that being clever can be a superpower, just like being strong. Today, we still tell the story of the Trojan Horse in books and movies. It is a fun story that helps our imaginations run and play, just like a happy horse in a big, green field.