child she had held at her breast. No stir of
living was in the land near their home, and only weeds grew in their
fields. As she sat there and looked around her there came into
Demeter's heart a pity for the people in whose house she had dwelt.

She rose up and she went to the house of Celeus. She found him beside
his house measuring out a little grain. The goddess went to him and she
told him that because of the love she bore his household she would
bless his fields so that the seed he had sown in them would come to
growth. Celeus rejoiced, and he called all the people together, and
they raised a temple to Demeter. She went through the fields and
blessed them, and the seed that they had sown began to grow. And the
goddess for a while dwelt amongst that people, in her temple at Eleusis.

IV

But still she kept away from the assemblies of the gods. Zeus sent a
messenger to her, Iris with the golden wings, bidding her to Olympus.
Demeter would not join the Olympians. Then, one after the other, the
gods and goddesses of Olympus came to her; none were able to make her
cease from grieving for Persephone, or to go again into the company of
the immortal gods.

And so it came about that Zeus was compelled to send a messenger down
to the Underworld to bring Persephone back to the mother who grieved so
much for the loss of her. Hermes was the messenger whom Zeus sent.
Through the darkened places of the earth Hermes went, and he came to
that dark throne where the lord Aidoneus sat, with Persephone beside
him. Then Hermes spoke to the lord of the Underworld, saying that Zeus
commanded that Persephone should come forth from the Underworld that
her mother might look upon her.

Then Persephone, hearing the words of Zeus that might not be gainsaid,
uttered the only cry that had left her lips since she had sent out that
cry that had reached her mother's heart. And Aidoneus, hearing the
command of Zeus that might not be denied, bowed his dark, majestic head.

She might go to the Upperworld and rest herself in the arms of her
mother, he said. And then he cried out: "Ah, Persephone, strive to feel
kindliness in your heart toward me who carried you off by violence and
against your will. I can give to you one of the great kingdoms that the
Olympians rule over. And I, who am brother to Zeus, am no unfitting
husband for you, Demeter's child."

So Aidoneus, the dark lord of the Underworld said, and he made ready
the iron chariot wi