THE FINDING OF PROSERPINE 133 



At that very moment Mercury and Pluto came 

 into the room. 



" My dear," said Pluto, " here . is Mercury, 

 who has come to take you back to earth again. 



" I shall be very lonely when you go. But, 

 although I love you very much, I cannot be 

 hard-hearted enough to keep you." 



Now would you believe that Proserpine was 

 sorry to leave King Pluto ! 



She had learned to love him a little. 



So she promised to spend a month with him 

 for every seed she had eaten. 



The rest of the year she would spend with 

 her mother. 



Then Mercury took her hand and led her back 

 to earth. 



She would grow beautiful again. 



As she walked, the earth grew green behind 

 her and on either side of her. 



Wherever she put her pretty foot there sprang 

 up a flower. 



The violets blossomed in her path. 



The grain began to sprout. 



The birds hopped about upon the trees, and 

 sang with joy as she came. 



Soon she was in her mother's arms. 



