Songs are Stories

Here Comes the Sun - Part One

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter... Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here... Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say... It's all right...

A long, long time ago, there were no seasons. There was only eternal sunshine and fine weather - caused my Demeter, goddess of the harvest.

Demeter's mood had a huge effect on the harvest and the weather. If she was sad, the clouds would pour out her tears, but she was never sad so that wasn't anything to worry about. If she was happy the sun would reflect her joy and the harvest would be good. There would be plenty of food for Louis and his family.

Louis lived in a small cabin in the middle of a farm where he grew crops to feed him and his family. They had lived there for years now - and because of the constant sun, his crops were always plentiful.

But one day, that all changed.

*

Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, had only one child - a daughter called Persephone. She was astonishingly beautiful and known in Olympus as being stunningly pretty.

Demeter loved her with all her might and the joy Persephone brought to her made the sun shine more than ever. Demeter would bring her down to the fields where she would play endlessly amongst the flowers.

This is where the trouble all began.

Hades, the god of the underworld, was astonished by her beauty when he saw her picking the flowers one day. He arose from a fissure in the ground and abducted Persephone in his chariot, taking her to the underworld and holding her captive.

Demeter was heartbroken. Her daughter was the light of her life and when she was taken, all the joy left her. She became depressed and miserable, as did the weather, and the world was plunged into cold and darkness.

*

"We can't go on like this anymore!" Louis' wife exclaimed unhappily, staring at the ill-fitting window frame that was rattling with the force of the blizzard. Their pet cat, a scrawny tabby named Gáta, slept lazily beside the dwindling fire. "The crops are all dead! We can't live like this! We need to leave and find a better place."

Louis sighed heavily and stroked Gáta. He knew that his wife was right really. He stared at the pale, gaunt faces of his children, poking at their empty plates. How could Hades have done something like this?

"I have an idea." He said finally and stood up from his chair. "I will go to Olympus and request Zeus' help. He is the only one who can save us now."

Louis' wife gasped. Reasoning with the Gods was the most dangerous task you could possibly undertake.

"It's okay." Louis assured, "You can take the children to the city where it's warmer and safer. I promise I will sort this out." He didn't admit how frightened he was.

His wife nodded weakly. She didn't have much of a choice if she didn't want to end up starving, and she trusted her husband. Almost reluctantly, she began to pack her bags and prepared to leave.

*

Louis' wife and children had left just over an hour ago, following the long and winding road that lead to the city. Louis had prepared just a few bare essentials for his journey to Olympus: food, warm clothes and climbing equipment. Gáta meowed pitifully, rubbing herself against his legs.