The forest on the island of Naxos was nothing short of pleasant this time of year. As I strolled along the forest path, gently pulling blueberries off the bushes and placing them into my basket, I listened to the songs of the sea birds from the nearby shore. I drank in great breaths of the wonderfully perfumed air and walked farther into the forest. I wish I could live here forever, I thought. My basket grew heavy with the ripe blueberries, and I decided it was time to return to my lover Theseus, who was waiting for me near the shore. I hummed a melody as I walked back toward Theseus’s ship.

Suddenly, a sharp command made me come to an abrupt stop. It sounded like Theseus, yelling at his sailors. Something was wrong, I could feel it. The birds were no longer singing. I felt a chill of wind. I could smell the stench of misfortune in my nostrils. I began to walk faster and faster toward the forest’s edge until I finally burst through the thicket in a torrent of leaves and twigs. What I saw made my heart stop dead. Theseus’s small cutter was not beached on shore. Desperately, I turned and looked into the sun in the direction of Theseus’s ship. The cutter was only a silhouette across the setting sun. I could hear Theseus’s voice ordering his men to row faster away from the island. Every bone and muscle in my body screamed as I called his name over and over and ran down the beach after the cutter. Struggling against the waves, I tried to swim to the boat. As I fought against the incoming tide, I cried for him to come back. The salt water filled my mouth and stung my eyes, but I kept swimming until I had no strength left.

I picked up a rock and skipped it across the water. I had resigned myself to the facts. Theseus had left me. He was not coming back. This island, which had once seemed so pleasant, had become a prison. A short time ago, I had wished to spend the rest of my days here. Now my only wish was to spend one more day away from this island. I collapsed on the shore dejectedly, and gave a howl of despair.

All at once, I was startled by a loud crash of cymbals! Looking over my shoulder, I saw two bright beasts leaping towards me. They were harnessed to a beautifully colored chariot which bounded along behind it, almost flying over the uneven ground. I could hear a myriad of songs and shouts of laughter. Terrified, I jumped up and turned to flee. But just as I gathered my drapery and began to run, a blinding bright figure hurtled off the chariot into my path. I was astonished. Directly in front of me triumphantly stood the most ravishingly handsome man I had ever seen in my life. His cape was thrown victoriously over his shoulder, and his broad chest glowed with exaltation. I knew instantly that he was a god.

Dropping to my knees, I whispered, “I am not worthy” into the ground. But the god took my hands in his and raised me up to look him in the eye. “I am Bacchus,” he said in a voice that was as strong as thunder, yet gentle as the breeze. “You, Adriadne, shall be my bride forever.”