The Three Golden Apples by Nathaniel Hawthorne - This is one of the popular Greek myths about Hercules and the three golden apples. It is adapted here by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This story is taken from "A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys." The Three Golden Apples by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a story about Hercules who searched for the golden apples that grew in the garden of the Hesperides.