希腊神话：PROSERPINE AND PLUTO-珀耳塞福涅与普路托

Pluto was God of Erebus，the world that lies beneath the ground. In his realm all was dark，misty ，and gloomy . There was no sunshine there，nor any light except the glow of fires. Instead of blue sky overhead，he had only a roof of damp and dripping earth. There were no gay flowers in his kingdom，nor tall branching trees，nor green grass.
In some places the dripping water mingled with rust-colored lime from the earth，and hardened into all sorts of shapes. It made columns and arches and mounds，or hung like icicles in long，thin pendantsfrom the roofs of Pluto's many caverns. There were black marble rocks in Erebus，and deep，dark lakes.
It would have been a drearyplace for an earth child，but Pluto thought his kingdom the most beautiful in the world.
He thought his caves hung with lime crystals far lovelier than forests of birchtrees. He liked the noiseless peace of the dim caverns. No songs of birds，no rustle of wind among the trees，disturbed their quiet. Only at times he heard far off the barking of Cerberus，the three-headed dog that guarded the entrance to his kingdom.
To drive away the dampnessin the caves，Pluto，lit many fires. Their flickering flames made the lime crystals sparkle and glimmer on the dark waters of the lakes. These fires were silent，too. They never made the cheerful，crackling noises that earth fires make.
The god of this strange，quiet land was content to stay in his own kingdom and seldom journeyed to the earth，which seemed a noisy place after the deep silence of Erebus.
But once Jupiter imprisonedfour great giants in a cavern in Mount Aetna. In their anger the giants stamped their feet and shook the earth，ragingback and forth and beating on the walls of their prison， or heaving their mighty shoulders against the sides of the cavern until the mountain trembled.
Far off in his kingdom under the ground Pluto heard these rumblings and feared that the surface of the earth might crack and the light of day break through into Erebus.
So， mounting his chariot drawn by four black horses， he journeyed swiftly up to earth and rode here and there to see how much damage had been done by the angry giants.
He found temples overturned ，trees uprooted ，and rocks thrown about as though some great earthquake had shaken the land，but no cracks deep enough to disturb the gloom of Erebus.
Pluto was preparing to return home，for the light of the sun was painful to his eyes，and he did not like the strange perfume of the earth flowers nor the sound of wind in the trees. But Cupid，that mischievousgod of love，had other plans for Pluto.
He drew his bow，wounding the god of darkness with one of those arrows which cause the wounded one to love the first person he meets.
Pluto had just grasped the reins of his four black horses to turn them homeward，when he saw Proserpine，the daughter of Ceres， Goddess of the Harvest，with half a dozen nymphs dancing across the valley. Proserpine's hair floated behind her，bright as a flame of golden fire，and her eyes were as black as Pluto's lakes. She came nearer， gathering flowers and twining them into garlands.
The god of the dark kingdom stepped from his chariot and left it hidden among the trees. His cloak waved about him in many points and folds，thin and fluttering like a garment of smoke. Little tongues of fire rose from his crown and flickeredabove his forehead.
Proserpine and the nymphs saw him and drew back in alarm. Pluto strode toward them and seized Proserpine by the wrist. He did not wooher gently and kindly as lovers do. He said nothing at all，but lifted her in his arms and carried her off into the forest. He stepped into his chariot，seized the reins with one hand，and held Proserpine with the other. The four black horses sprang forward with a bound，gallopingmadly away toward the River Cyane.
Proserpine screamed for help. She cried to Ceres，her mother，but Pluto urged his horses on，and the chariot dashed away still faster.
When they reached the edge of the River Cyane， Pluto commanded the waters to open so that he might pass，but the river nymph saw that Proserpine was being carried away，and refused to help Pluto or make a pathwayfor him to cross.
Then in anger Pluto struck the ground with his mighty three-pronged spear and the earth itself opened. The horses plunged downward， and with the chariot rattlingfrom side to side， disappearedin the darkness.
Now，far off，Ceres had heard Proserpine's cry as Pluto carried her away. A sharp pain shot through the mother's heart，and like a bird she flew through forest and valley seeking Proserpine. She climbed mountains and crossed rivers，asking everyone she met for tidings of Proserpine，but neither man nor god would tell her where Pluto had carried her daughter，for everyone feared Pluto's anger.
A long，dark cloak hid Ceres's face and the brightness of her hair. No one who saw her then would have known that she was the glowing Goddess of the Harvest. For many days she wandered over the earth，refusing in her sorrow to taste either ambrosiaor nectar.
At last she came to the banks of the River Cyane，but the river nymph，also afraid of Pluto's wrath，dared not tell Ceres where the missing Proserpine was hidden. But it happened that as Pluto's horses had dashed down into the earth，Proserpine's girdle，loosened by her struggle to free herself，fell from the chariot and lay on the river bank. The river nymph now took this girdle and floated it to where Ceres stood mourning at the water's edge.
Ceres saw it，and now her grief was more terrible than ever. She knew now that her daughter was gone，but still did not know that Pluto had taken her. In her sorrow，Ceres took away her blessing from the earth and cast an evil spell on the fruits and crops.
The leaves of the trees lost their green and began to fall in clouds of yellow. The blue sky grew angry and gray，and a cold wind swept over the earth. The nymphs shivered and wrapped their thin robesaround them.
Everything became dry and withered，and famine and sickness and grief were over the whole earth.
Then the fountain，Arethusa，spoke to Ceres and told her where Proserpine was. "I come from far down in the earth，"sang the fountain."My waters have trickled through the realms of Pluto. I have seen your daughter. I have seen Proserpine，the beautiful，the bright， sitting on a black marble throne，queen of the spirits that wander silently between the crystal pillars and the flickering fires，and float over the lakes from which my waters rise."
When Ceres heard this，she raised her arms to Jupiter and begged him to return Proserpine to the earth.
"""Never again，""she cried，""will I make the corn grow or the ripening grain bend in golden waves. Unless my daughter is restored to me. Never again will I watch over the harvest. The fruits of the earth shall remain withered，and man will die from hunger."""
Jupiter knew that Ceres would do as she threatened，so he sent Mercury，the speedy messenger，to fly swiftly to Pluto，and bidhim release Proserpine.
"""But if she has eaten in Erebus even I cannot take her from Pluto，""said Jupiter."
When Mercury went down into the kingdom of darkness，he took Spring with him. They flew over the River Styx and passed Cerberus. When Cerberus，his three great jaws wide open，sprang at them， Spring loosened her mantleand shook such a shower of white petalsin his face that he could not see. His mouths were filled with them，and they clung to the lashesof his eyes. Some fell into the River Styx and floated on the dark water."They are like the fair queen，Proserpine，on her black marble throne，"said Charon，the boatman.
"""Such a dreary place to keep the daughter of Ceres! ""thought Mercury，as they flew through the gloomy caverns and passages toward Pluto's palace."
Soon Pluto began to notice a faint fragrance that reminded him of the earth world above. He hurried to the doors of his palace.Proserpine felt the mild warmthand followed.
They saw Mercury approaching，with Spring floating at his side."Rejoice，O，daughter of Ceres，"said Mercury，"for Jupiter bids you return to earth，which lies brown and barren because of grief over your loss."
Pluto frowned more fiercely than ever."She has eaten six seeds of a pomegranate，"he said. "The Fates decree that whoever eats in Erebus may never leave."
"""But only six little seeds! ""begged Proserpine.""There are twice six months in the year. Only let me see my mother! Let me feel the warm sunshine and soft winds，and gather flowers again，and I will come back to you! """
Pluto had grown to love Proserpine dearly. He could not bear to lose her forever，yet he wished her to be happy. So he agreed to let her go back to her mother for six months of the year，but the other six she promised to spend with him.
With Spring on one side and Mercury on the other，Proserpine journeyedup to earth，where Ceres awaited her.
As the ground opened to let them out，the cold winds hurried away beyond the sea. Ceres dropped her mantle of gray and laughed with joy to hold her daughter once more in her arms. The bare branches burst into bud，and tiny leaves sprang from every twig. Starrywhite flowers sprinkled the moss，and the perfume of Spring filled the forest.
Mercury flew back to Mount Olympus，but Spring began her journey over the earth to star the fields with blossoms and carry the tidings that Proserpine had come back.
And so，even now，when Proserpine is on earth，we have the flowers and fruits of Spring and Summer and when she returns to Pluto， the leaves begin to fall，and then the cold，dark，windy days come， and we have Autumn and Winter.