THE BLACK STEEDS OF AIDONEUS 3 1 



that she would go to Helios, him who drives the 

 sun-car through the skies, and ask him. 



" Great Helios," she said, " I know that your 

 eye takes in all the world, and that the deeds of 

 both gods and men are known to you. Tell me, 

 I pray you, have you seen my lost child Perse- 

 phone ? " 



Kind Helios was glad that she had come to 

 him. Yes, he had seen Persephone. As chance 

 would have it, he had seen Aidoneus when he 

 rushed out from Etna; he had seen him lift the 

 child from the ground and place her in his black 

 car; he had seen the last wild leap down Mount 

 Etna's throat. 



" She is with Aidoneus," said he ; " and he has 

 made her the queen of his dark realms. But he 

 would not have seized her as he did had he not 

 had leave of Zeus, the king of gods and men." 



Then Dame Demeter gave way to her grief 

 and rage; and she sent word to Zeus that no 

 fruits nor grain should grow in all the world so 

 long as Aidoneus kept Persephone in his halls. 

 For it was Dame Demeter, men said, who gave 

 life to the trees and plants, and made them bloom 

 and bear fruit. Zeus and the gods that were with 

 him knew that the dame would be as good as her 



