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.