Kallisti is a Greek word that I discovered while reading Greek mythology. The myth in particular involved a bevy of gods and goddesses, a contest, an apple, and a young lad--all of the makings for a truly rich story!

One day, Zeus, the God of the gods, was preparing a wedding party for Peleus and Thetis. Knowing how much mayhem Eris usually caused at such affairs, Zeus decided not to invite her.

Well, Eris found out about the get-together, so she decided that if she wasn't good enough to invite, the least she could do would be to make the party just a tad bit more interesting than the usually godly gossip and boring god games.

Ever the clever one, Eris fashoined a golden apple (it was made of solid gold!) and engraved the word Kallisti upon it. Kallisti is Greek for "To the prettiest one". Eris then rolled that apple into the party where it stopped between three lovely goddesses -- Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite.

Once the three beauties set their eyes upon that apple, a huge argument commenced over whose apple it was. (Remember, the apple had engraved upon it "To the prettiest one.") Who deserved the apple since it was for the one who was most beautiful? Which goddess was truly the most lovely?

"I know," said Athena. "Let's ask Zeus!" This was a great idea... In theory. Unfortunately, there is nothing more discomforting than a goddess displeased, unless of course it were two goddesses displeased, which is exactly what Zeus would have had on his hands if he chose one of the lovely lasses who posed the question to him and not the other two.

But Zeus was no nimrod. He thought and quickly said, "I am in no position to make such a choice. We must ask a man who can be completely objective. You ladies go to Paris and ask him."

Paris was not, of course, a city, but rather a strapping young lad who was asleep under a tree watching his sheep. Now, I bet you can imagine the look of surprise on his face when he all of a sudden noticed three beautiful goddesses standing about him!

The goddesses posed the question to Paris and then individually proceeded to tempt him. Hera, the wife of Zeus, offered him riches beyond his wildest fancy; Athena, the goddess of the hunt and battle, offered him victory and glory in battle; and Aphrodite, the goddess of love, offered him the most beautiful woman in the world.

Paris, being a young, virile lad, of course chose "c", the most beautiful woman in the world. Aphrodite, being true to her word and ecstatic about being the most beautiful, gave him his desire. Thus, Paris chose Aphrodite and he in return received the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Troy.

This sparked the famous Trojan war which lasted many, many years and caused much chaos and mayhem. This in turn tickled Eris to tears.

The moral of the story is: Be beautiful; don't go picking up every gold apple that rolls under foot; and always invite Eris to your soirees!