The Underworld

This is a story about a happy girl named Persephone. She loved to dance and play in big, sunny meadows where the grass tickled her toes. The flowers were so bright and colorful. There were red flowers, yellow flowers, and blue flowers growing just for her. Her mother, Demeter, made all the plants on Earth grow tall and strong. But deep, deep under the ground was a secret kingdom. It was a hidden, glittering place where shiny jewels sparkled in the dark like little stars. This is the story of Persephone's journey to the Underworld.

One sunny day, Persephone was picking pretty flowers. She saw the most beautiful flower she had ever seen. It was bright and sparkly. When she reached down to pick it, the ground opened up. Whoosh. She floated gently down, down, down into the secret kingdom below. The ruler of this kingdom was a quiet king named Hades. He showed Persephone his world full of sparkling gems and silent, dark rivers. It was a very pretty place, but Persephone missed the warm sun. She missed her mother’s smile. Up on the Earth, her mother Demeter was so sad. Because she was sad, all the flowers drooped. The leaves fell from the trees. The world grew cold and sleepy. Everyone missed the sunshine.

Soon, it was time for Persephone to go home. Before she left, King Hades gave her a special treat: a bright red pomegranate. She only ate six tiny seeds, but it was a magical promise. Because she ate the fruit from the Underworld, she would spend part of the year with Hades below. The rest of the year, she would be with her mother above. When Persephone is home, her mother is so happy that she makes all the flowers bloom for spring and summer. When she goes back to the sparkling kingdom, her mother rests, and the world has autumn and winter. Every time you see the first flower of spring, that’s Persephone coming back to say hello.