Jenna Wang March 4, 2011 Period 7 BREAKING NEWS: HADES STEALS DEMETER'S DAUGHTER, PERSEPHONE On September 1, 2011, Persephone

had been picking flowers in the fields when she was kidnapped by Hades, who had fallen madly in love with her when he first noticed her. Knowing that Demeter would not agree to let him take her daughter as his wife, he had kidnapped Persephone and hurled his chariot down into the darkest depths of the underworld, taking Persephone with him. In the underworld, she was seated in a beautifully engraved throne and Hades offered her many precious stones. Yet, she still refused to speak to Hades or eat. Nearly a week went by and Demeter, her mother, was really worried. She asked almost everyone that was witness to the event. She refused to let nature prosper while her daughter was away. She went up to Mount Olympus to beg Zeus to help her get Persephone back. Demeter told him that she wouldn't allow anything to grow while her daughter wasn't around. Finally, Zeus agreed to help because he was worried about the crops. The people would die if the crops failed. If that happened, who would worship Zeus? He sent Hermes, the messenger, to make a deal with Hades. Meanwhile, unable to bear her hunger, Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds. When Hermes heard that Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds, he had to think quickly because if a live person ate the food of the dead, they would have to stay in the underworld forever. The deal he made with Hades was that, since Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds, she would live as queen of the underworld for six months out of the year. However, each spring, Persephone would return and live on earth for the other six months of the year. Hades, Persephone, and Zeus agreed. And finally, Demeter agreed. Each spring, Demeter makes sure all the flowers bloomed in welcome when her daughter returns to her. Each fall, when Persephone returns to Hades, Demeter cries and lets all the crops die until spring, when the cycle starts again. -345 words in submission-