Chapter V

The Pomegranate Seeds

Mother Ceres was exceedingly fond of her
daughter Proserpina, and seldom let her go alone
into the fields. But, just at the time when my
story begins, the good lady was very busy, be-
cause she had the care of the wheat, and the
Indian corn, and the rye and barley, and, in short,
of the crops of every kind, all over the earth;
and as the season had thus far been uncommon-
ly backward, it was necessary to make the har-
vest ripen more speedily than usual. So she put
on her turban, made of poppies, (a kind of
flower which she was always noted for wear-
ing,) and got into her car drawn by a pair of
winged dragons, and was just ready to set off.

"Dear mother," said Proserpina, "I shall be
very lonely while you are away. May I not run
down to the shore, and ask some of the sea

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v?