Persephone And Hades: Why Do The Seasons Change?
A Mythological Adventure Adapted By Mr. Putnam
Long ago in Ancient Greece the god Zeus and the goddess Demeter had a beautiful baby girl. They were so happy with their child and they named her Persephone.
Hades, the god of the Underworld, was constantly around the souls of the dead. He quickly grew lonely and longed for the companionship of a woman. Zeus decided that Persephone would be a great match for his brother.
Hades thought this was a phenominal idea. He hooked his horses up to his chariot and set out to meet his beautiful new bride at once. However, Persephone was unaware of this decision and she continued picking flowers in a field.
All of a sudden the earth cracked open and Hades appeared out of the hole. Persephone gasped with terror as Hades' menacing chariot approached her. She bagan to scream for help, but her mother Demeter was too far away to save her. Hades scooped Persephone up in his arms and rode his chrariot back to the dark, dank depths of the Underworld.
Demeter was devastated by the loss of her daughter. In fact, she was so upset that she began to neglect her duties as the goddess of agriculture.
Plants began to whither and die, crops did not grow, and fields became barren. Snow fell to the earth and everything was a frozen wasteland. Famine broke out and many people died.
Meanwhile, in the Underworld, Persephone was as miserable as her mother. She missed her beloved plants and especially missed her mother. Everything was dreary in the underworld. Why couldn't it be pretty in the Underworld like it was in her beautiful fields and meadows?
Hades knew that his new "bride" was miserable and he knew the current state of the earth. It was only a matter of time before Zeus would make him give Persephone back. Therefore, Hades concocted a plan to keep Persephone in the Underworld. He tricked her into eating a few seeds from a pomegranate. He knew that she would have to stay now because she ate some food from the Underworld.
Hades' selfish trick worked, but only partially. Persephone was forced to live with Hades in the Underworld for four months out of the year. The rest of the time she got to live with her mother on the surface. Zeus made Hades return Persephone to Demeter, and their reunion was joyous. Tears of happiness flowed freely from Demeter's eyes as she embraced her daughter for the first time in months. All of a sudden the snow began to melt and fresh buds began to appear. Spring had begun!
But, whenever Persephone returned to Hades in the Underworld, her mother would withdraw into depression and sadness. Plants would die, snow would fall and Winter would begin. But, whenever Demeter's beloved Persephone was returned, the snow would melt and Spring and Summer would arrive!