Demeter

There was a kind mother named Demeter who helped everything in the world grow. She made the grass grow green, green, green. She made the apples grow sweet, sweet, sweet. Demeter had a daughter named Persephone, who was bright and warm just like the sunshine. Everywhere Persephone played, little flowers would pop up from the ground to see her. When they were together, the whole world was sunny and happy. This is the ancient myth of Demeter and Persephone, and it tells us why the world changes all year long.

One day, Persephone went away on a trip to a quiet, sparkly place deep under the ground. Without her daughter's sunny smile, Demeter was very, very sad. Her heart felt so empty. Because she was sad, Demeter stopped helping the world grow. The leaves on the big trees turned brown and fell down, down, down. A chilly wind started to blow. Brrr! The world became quiet and sleepy. A soft, white blanket of snow covered everything. This was the very first winter, and it happened because Demeter missed her sunshine girl so much.

But after the cold, quiet time, Persephone came back home. She ran right into her mother’s arms. Demeter’s heart was full of joy, so much joy. To show how happy she was, she made every flower bloom with bright colors. Pop, pop, pop. She made all the trees grow new green leaves. The sun shone bright and warm, and the little birds sang happy songs. This happy time is called spring. So, when Persephone is home, it is warm spring and summer. When she is away, it is quiet winter. This story reminds us that even after the coldest days, the sunshine and happiness always come back.