Besides the current fascination with presidents, The Boy has also come back around to an interest in all things Greek. This is due in large part to the fifth grade play we attended at his school a few weeks ago based on the Iliad and complete with a working Trojan Horse (and yes, I've told him that the horse does not appear in the actual Iliad, but rather the Aeneid).

He immediately wanted to read the Iliad, despite our only having a translation of the whole thing. I think he got about 5 pages in, before giving up, which is pretty good for a six year old.

After that, and before we could get to the library to check out something more age appropriate, he decided to write his own version.

What follows is a transcription of The Boy's version of the Iliad.

The Ilied

Once upon a time there lived a king and qween

They had a baby

Odysseus was the kings' name.

He had to fight a war so he sailed many many miles

Achilles did not want to be killed so he dressed up as a girl

Well Odysseus dressed up as a merchant brhot girls things and a sword

Because the greeks needed him weel Achilles grabbd the sword put on his armor and sailed to troy

Well he killd Hector the Trojens greatesd man after that the best archer in Troy shot him in the back of the heel the only place he could be killed

so he died

Well Odysseus and his men made a wooden horse and got inside

The Trojand thought they had won

It was a present for one of the Goddeses

Well that night they juped out all and killed the Trojens

The End

Ignoring Briseis and Chryseis (which I hope he will continue not to notice in the story so I don't have to explain them) I think he hit the high points rather well.