THE CASTLE PLEDGE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 16 July 1927, Page 18

THE CASTLE PLEDGE.

I promise to smile every time I can, and to chase all the frowns into the dark cave, where the Smile Giant will kill them with his Magic Sword Happiness.

My Dear Smiles,— Do you ever wonder why we must have Winter, I often wish that all the year were Summer and Spring with just a touch of Autumn. However, years iigo something happened and consequently we must experience four bare hungrv months every year, this is the story. Theie was once a little girl called Persephone, whose mother was Demeter, the Goddess of the Harvest, and the Eaith s increase. One day_when her mother was busy Persephone was wandering through the fields picking - floweis. She pulled so hard at some beautiful blooms that the whole plant came awav in her hands. Phe hole left a\ as an awful chasm and as tlie little girl peered over the edge she heard a low rumbling sound which grew louder and loudei until a great chariot, drawn by four prancing black horses bounded into view. The driver was a very big sullen looking creature. He was Pluto, the God of the Underworld, which is away down beneath the Earth. Persephone was so frightened * she uttered loud shrieks, but Pluto caught her and carried her back to his dark Kingdom. °AVhen poor Demeter returned she was almost crazy with grief at the disappearance of her child. For ten days she wandered about in search of the lost girl, but no trace of her except a few picked flowers on the edge of a wide chasm. Then Helios, the Sun God, in his fiery chariot came sweeping - bv and told her how, from his home in the sky, he had seen Pluto carry off PersephoneDemeter was so distressed she just couldn’t and wouldn’t work for sheer grief. Zeus, the great God of All, seeing her trouble sent Hermes a very jolly and swift messenger down to the Underworld to order Persephone’s release. It was Pluto’s turn to be sad now, as the younggirl had brought a little of the sunlight of the Earth into his dark'Kingdom. Before she left Pluto bade her eat a ripe pomegranate. She only had time to eat four seeds before Hermes gathered her up and flew (for he had golden wings) back to the Earth and Demeter, who was so glad when she saw her child, she could hardly speak. The Goddess went back to her work and immediately everything began to grow again. But because Persephone had eaten four of Pluto’s pomegranate seeds she had to spend four months of every year in the Underworld. While she was there Demeter hid in' her cave, and it was Winter on earth, and nothing grew. But when Persephone returned Demeter was busy once again. The trees burst into bud and blossom, the birds sang, and all the Earth rejoiced for it was spring. Do you know that story, Smiles? Lord Leighton has painted a beautiful picture showing Hermes restoring Persephone to her mother, ft is called: “The Return of Persephone.” And now my Fairies I hope while Winter is here you are all busy making something for the Gift Cupboard. Good-night dear Smiles, with much love from — Your affectionate, SMILE QUEEN.