Zeus, the father of the gods, was pacing up and down in his palace on top of Mount Olympus. A big idea was forming in his mind.
Zeus was good at many things, and plotting was one of his strong points. The more devious the plot, the happier he was.
It was all very simple. Zeus was greatly displeased and wanted to punish mortals.
He was quite pleased with the way his plot was shaping up. With a satisfied smile on his face, the father of the gods walked over to a special window at the far end of the chamber.
Through this window, he could look down on Earth and watch mortals scurrying around. How these little things bored him! Yawn! Yawn! Every so often, Zeus liked to remind them not to step out of line.
Zeus was furious because a giant named Prometheus had stolen fire from Mount Olympus to give to his friends on Earth. Zeus had kept fire for himself for so long, but now Prometheus had tipped the balance of power. Something had to be done to remind the mortal race who was boss.