Lesson : 8

The Story of Proserpine

Let's start : 🚀

The story of Proserpine and Pluto is a mythological story that dates back to ancient Roman civilization. A similar story can be traced in ancient Greek mythology also. Handed down from generation to generation, myth is an imaginary narrative that tries to explain nature and its mysteries.

Let's share : 🗣️

(a) Can you name a mythological story that you have read or heard? Ask your friend also to name one such story.

(b) Suppose you have access to a children's library. Which of the following would you like to read first and why?

(i) a fairy tale (ii) a detective story (iii) a story by a famous writer (iv) a mythological story (v) a story based on the life of a great person

Discuss your choice with your friend.

Let's read : 📖

Unit I

Long, long ago, in the beautiful island of Sicily, there lived a goddess called Ceres. She was the goddess of crops, plants and trees; so on her depended the health and happiness of all the people of this wide world.

Ceres had a fair daughter, Proserpine, whom she loved more than her life. Proserpine was the brightest and loveliest of all girls. Her cheeks were rosy and beautiful like the apple blossoms in spring. Her eyes were as blue as the sky in April. Her long golden curls were as bright as the sunlight in springtime. All the radiant loveliness of springtime seemed to have taken the form of this fair maiden. Everybody said, "She is the Spring." Proserpine helped her mother in the fields. With her young companions she danced and sang, while gathering flowers.

Far down the earth, there lived dark Pluto, king of the land of the dead. He had often asked some goddess to come and live with him, but no goddess was willing to live among the dead. So Pluto was very lonely.

One day Pluto came to earth and was driving along in his swift chariot. Behind some bushes he heard voices and laughter. He was curious. He stopped his chariot, and walked to the bushes. There he saw Proserpine laughing and playing with her companions who formed a circle round her.

Pluto was charmed at the sight of the lovely maiden. He looked at Proserpine and thought, “I must make her my queen. Her bright face will make even my dark kingdom look bright and beautiful.” But he knew that it would be useless to ask the maiden to be his queen. So he stepped into the circle and carried her to his chariot. The companions of Proserpine were frightened and fled in all directions. Pluto departed with the captive maiden in his chariot. He drove very fast. He was afraid that Proserpine's mother Ceres would soon appear there in search of her daughter.

After some time Pluto came to the bank of a river. The river was full to the brim and he could not drive through the water. To go in another direction would mean loss of time. So with his sceptre he struck the ground. The ground opened at once, and chariot, horses and all plunged into the darkness below. Just as the ground was closing over her, Proserpine seized her girdle and threw it far out into the river. She thought that the girdle might reach Ceres, and her mother would be able to trace her lost daughter.

Word Nest 📚

Sicily: an island in the Mediterranean Sea, to the south of Italy; blossoms: flowers; radiant: shining; departed: left; captive: imprisoned or kept in bondage; brim: the top edge of a cup, glass, bowl etc; sceptre: an ornamental staff or baton indicating a King's power; plunged: jumped into or dived; seized: caught hold of; girdle: belt or waistband

Let's do : ✅

Activity 1

Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the passage above :

(a) Goddess Ceres lived in the beautiful island of Sicily. (b) Pluto was the king of the land of the dead. (c) Everyone said that Proserpine was the Spring herself. (d) Pluto was lonely when he saw Proserpine. (e) Pluto struck the ground with his sceptre and it opened instantly.

Activity 2

Identify which of the following statements are True and which are False. Give a supporting statement for each of your answers.

(a) Ceres had little role to play in the lives of the people on earth. (False: on her depended the health and happiness of all the people of this wide world.) (b) Ceres was extremely fond of her fair daughter. (True: she loved more than her life.) (c) When Pluto first saw Proserpine, she was helping her mother in the field. (False: she was laughing and playing with her companions.) (d) Pluto thought Proserpine's beauty would brighten his dark kingdom. (True: Her bright face will make even my dark kingdom look bright and beautiful.) (e) Proserpine threw away her girdle because she did not require it in Pluto's kingdom. (False: She thought that the girdle might reach Ceres, and her mother would be able to trace her lost daughter.)

Activity 3

Fill up the following chart with information from the text:

Cause	Effect
1. Pluto was very lonely.	Pluto led a lonely life.
2. Pluto heard voices and laughter behind some bushes	Pluto was curious.
3. Pluto carried Proserpine to his chariot.	The companions of Proserpine got frightened and ran away.
4. Pluto was afraid Ceres would appear.	Pluto drove his chariot very fast.
5. The river was full to the brim.	Pluto struck the ground with his sceptre.

Activity 4

Some words or phrases are given below. Find words from the text having meanings similar to these:

(a) a young unmarried girl: maiden (b) a horse driven carriage or car: chariot (c) eager to know: curious (d) flowers: blossoms (e) grasped or caught tightly: seized (f) a waistband: girdle

Activity 5

Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the list below. Change the form of the words where necessary. There are some extra words. (One is done for you):

plunged, departed, trace, lovely, bank, drove, curls

(a) The rose is said to be the loveliest of all flowers. (b) Kolkata is situated on the bank of river Hooghly. (c) I could not trace the advertisement in yesterday's newspaper. (d) When it rains, driving a car is not easy. (e) Please note the time of his departure from office last Saturday.

Let's continue : ➡️

Unit II

In the evening Ceres came back home. She did not find her daughter who usually came running to meet her. This had never happened before. Ceres was greatly surprised and a little worried. She searched for her in all the rooms, but they were all empty. Then she lighted a torch from the fires of a volcano and wandered about the fields and valleys looking for Proserpine. The search went on for the whole night, and in the morning her grief knew no bounds.

That very day Ceres began a long journey. She wandered over land and sea, over hills and valleys for days together. She neglected all her work on earth. As a result the crops failed everywhere. The ground became dry and barren. Famine broke out all over the world. It seemed that the earth grieved with the grieving mother.

The people were starving. They came to Ceres and implored her to bring back plenty, and save their lives. Ceres lifted her sad face, weary with ceaseless wandering, and said, "I cannot take care of the earth until I get back my lost daughter.”

So the people thought of praying to Jupiter who was the king of the gods. And to Jupiter they sent their prayer to bring Proserpine back to her mother. They were sadly in need of Ceres's help.

Ceres wandered all over the earth and came at last to Sicily. One day when she was passing by a river, waves carried something to her feet. She picked up the object and saw that it was the girdle of her daughter.

Ceres looked at it carefully again and again. Tears filled her eyes and streamed down her pale cheeks. She suddenly seemed to hear a voice coming from a nearby fountain. The voice grew clearer every moment and it said, “Ceres, great mother of the earth, I am the nymph of the fountain. I live in the dark depths of the earth. And I have seen your daughter on a throne in the kingdom of Pluto. Her cheeks were pale and her eyes were heavy with weeping. Go to Jupiter and pray to him to send her back to you. Do not grieve any more.”

With these words the nymph seemed to leap towards the sun and the sky.

Ceres now came to see Jupiter and said, “I have found the place where my daughter is. Please give her back to me and I shall once more make the earth as fruitful and green as it was.”

Jupiter was deeply moved by the mother's sorrow, and also by the prayers of the people on the earth. He thought for a while and said, “Proserpine may return to earth if she has not tasted any food in Pluto's kingdom."

Ceres quickly descended into the land of the dead. But alas! That very day Proserpine had eaten six pomegranate seeds, and for every one of those seeds she was destined each year to spend a month in the realm of the dead.

So for six months every year Proserpine would come back to her mother. When she did so, flowers bloomed, birds sang and the earth smiled to welcome the young queen. But when the time came for Proserpine to rejoin Pluto in his dark underground kingdom, Ceres would begin to grieve for six months. The earth too, would look sad and gloomy. The trees would shed their leaves. The flowers, too, would hide underground, until they heard again the gentle footfall of Proserpine returning to earth.

Word Nest 📚

neglected: omitted; starving: being without food for a long time; implored: begged; ceaseless: unending; nymph: mythological goddess of trees, rivers, mountains etc.; descended: went down; pomegranate: a type of fruit with many seeds; destined: fixed beforehand; realm: kingdom; gloomy: dark

Let's do : ✅

Activity 6

Complete the following sentences with information from the text:

(a) From the fires of a volcano Ceres lighted a torch and searched for Proserpine. (b) People thought of praying to Jupiter because they were sadly in need of Ceres's help. (c) The nymph of the fountain lived in the dark depths of the earth. (d) Jupiter said that Proserpine might return to earth if she had not tasted any food in Pluto's kingdom. (e) Ceres would begin to grieve for six months when Proserpine rejoined Pluto in his dark underground kingdom.

Activity 7

Fill up the following chart with information from the text:

WHO	DID WHAT	WHEN
Ceres	searched for Proserpine in all the rooms	after Proserpine went missing
People	implored Ceres to bring back plenty.	they were starving
Proserpine	had eaten six pomegranate seeds	on the day Ceres descended to the land of the dead
The earth	smiled to welcome the young queen.	Proserpine would come back to her mother for six months.

Activity 8

Answer the following questions :

(a) Why did Ceres feel very sad in the morning?

Ceres felt very sad in the morning because her search for Proserpine all night was in vain, and her grief knew no bounds.

(b) Why was there a severe famine all over the world?

There was a severe famine all over the world because Ceres, in her grief, neglected all her work on earth, causing crops to fail and the ground to become dry and barren.

(c) Briefly narrate what the nymph of the fountain told Ceres.

The nymph of the fountain told Ceres that she lived in the dark depths of the earth and had seen Proserpine on a throne in Pluto's kingdom. She advised Ceres to go to Jupiter and pray to him to send Proserpine back.

(d) Why was Proserpine bound to live for six months in the underground kingdom?

Proserpine was bound to live for six months in the underground kingdom because she had eaten six pomegranate seeds in Pluto's realm, and for every seed, she was destined to spend a month there.

Activity 9

Rearrange the following sentences and make a paragraph on how Proserpine returned from the underworld to her mother on earth:

(e) Ceres, her mother, was much surprised not to find her at home in the evening. (h) The mother searched for her daughter everywhere in vain. (c) Pluto took away the beautiful maiden Proserpine to his underground kingdom. (a) Suddenly one day Ceres picked up Proserpine's girdle by the riverside. (f) The nymph of the fountain told Ceres about her daughter's whereabouts. (b) Ceres visited Jupiter and sought his help to get back her daughter. (g) Jupiter said that Proserpine might return to earth if she had not eaten any food in the land of the dead. (d) Ceres went underground to find that Proserpine had already eaten six pomegranate seeds there. (i) Proserpine was destined to spend six months every year in Pluto's underworld and the remaining six months on earth with her mother.

Paragraph:

Ceres, Proserpine's mother, was much surprised not to find her at home in the evening. She searched for her daughter everywhere in vain, unaware that Pluto had taken the beautiful maiden to his underground kingdom. One day, Ceres picked up Proserpine's girdle by the riverside, which gave her hope. The nymph of the fountain then told Ceres about her daughter's whereabouts. Ceres visited Jupiter and sought his help, to which Jupiter replied that Proserpine could return if she had not eaten any food in the land of the dead. However, when Ceres went underground, she found that Proserpine had already eaten six pomegranate seeds. Thus, Proserpine was destined to spend six months every year in Pluto's underworld and the remaining six months on earth with her mother.

Activity 10

Match the words in Column A with their meanings in Column B :

A	B
(1) realm	(e) kingdom ( ✅ )
(2) ceaseless	(f) endless ( ✅ )
(3) pale	(b) dull or whitish in colour ( ✅ )
(4) grief	(a) deep sorrow ( ✅ )
(5) implored	(d) begged ( ✅ )
(6) gloomy	(c) dark or depressing ( ✅ )

Activity 11

Make sentences with the following pairs of words to show the difference in their meanings:

a) meet: We will meet at the cafe tomorrow. meat: I prefer fish over meat. b) wandered: The dog wandered off into the woods. wondered: She wondered about the meaning of life. c) whole: He ate the whole cake by himself. hole: There's a hole in my sock. d) leap: The frog took a mighty leap. lip: She bit her lip in concentration. e) cease: The rain will cease soon. seize: The police will seize the illegal goods. f) throne: The king sat on his throne. thrown: The ball was thrown over the fence. g) prey: The lion hunted its prey. pray: We pray for peace. h) tested: The students were tested on their knowledge. tasted: I tasted the delicious soup.

Let's talk : 🗣️

Imagine yourselves to be the characters of the story. Pair up with your friend and start a conversation on any one of the following topics :

• between the river nymph and Ceres, after she finds Proserpine's girdle
• between Ceres and Jupiter, when Ceres meets the latter for help
• between Ceres and Proserpine, when the girl returns to earth for six months

Let's do : ✅

Activity 12

Solve the word puzzle by putting suitable letters in the blank boxes. You will find the words in the text:

Let's learn : 💡

Study the following sentences from the text:

• I must make her my queen.
• Her bright face will make even my dark kingdom look bright and beautiful.
• She thought that the girdle might reach Ceres.
• Her mother would be able to trace her lost daughter.
• Proserpine may return to earth.
• He could not drive through the water.

In the above sentences the words must, will, might, would, may and could not are used to indicate emphasis, possibility, ability, permission, request, wish, probability, inability, impossibility, etc. These words are known as modals.

It is important to note that several modals can be used to express the same mood or mode. Most of the modals do not express any sure fact. Modals are followed by the first form of a verb.

Now study the following table carefully:

Functions	Modals
Expressing ability	can, could
Expressing possibility	can, could, may, might
Expressing duty or emphasis	should, must
Making a request	would, could, will
Asking for permission	may, shall, can, could
Giving suggestion	should, can, could

Now study the table showing the modals and their negative forms:

Modals	Negative forms of Modals
can	cannot / can't
could	could not / couldn't
may	may not
might	might not
will	will not / won't
would	would not / wouldn't
shall	shall not / shan't
should	should not / shouldn't
must	must not

Let's do : ✅

Activity 13 (a)

Fill in the blanks with appropriate modals from the list given below. One modal may be used more than once.

may, would, will, should, must, can, could

(a) I must finish my homework before going to school. (b) He can give you a solution. (c) Rajesh planned that he would make a kitchen garden. (d) He could help me if he wished. (e) We should save trees for a better future. (f) The teachers expect that all the students will pass the examination. (g) Students should treat their teachers with respect. (h) It may rain today.

Activity 13 (b)

Fill in the blanks with the negative forms of appropriate modals:

(a) I cannot help you. I am sorry. (b) Your bed is ready. Shouldn't you lie down now? (c) One cannot go for swimming when the sea is rough. (d) The student got poor marks because he couldn't solve a few sums. (e) They might not be able to supply the materials on time.

Study the following set of pictures carefully :

Activity 14 (a)

Now match the clues with the pictures. Write the matching picture numbers in the brackets.

• God appeared in the disguise of a wise man and asked the cart-man to put his shoulders to the wheel. ( 4 )
• The cart moved. ( 6 )
• A cart-man driving a cart. ( 1 )
• He started praying to God. ( 3 )
• The wheels sank in mud. ( 2 )
• Cart-man pulled the wheel with great effort. ( 5 )

Activity 14 (b)

Write a story based on the above clues in about seventy words. Add a title to your story.

Title: The Cartman's Lesson

A cart-man was driving his cart when its wheels sank deep into the mud. He started praying to God for help. Suddenly, a wise man, actually God in disguise, appeared and asked him to put his shoulders to the wheel. The cart-man, with great effort, pulled the wheel. To his surprise, the cart moved. This taught him that divine help comes to those who help themselves, reminding him of the importance of self-effort.

Activity 15

In each group there are three sentences. One of them has some grammatical errors. Identify that sentence and bold it. One is done for you:

Group A: (i) Ranit has taken my pen. (ii) This house is our. (iii) They live happily in their village.

Group B: (i) I always enjoy reading children's books. (ii) Sunita studies in Nivedita Girl's High School. (iii) The children is crying.

Group C: (i) The bird on the cage has flew away. (ii) Take out that book from the shelf. (iii) The man arrived at the station on time.

Group D: (i) She left the place quietly. (ii) The cart-man is driving his cart in a slowly manner. (iii) Alam is known for his gentle manners.

Group E: (i) Would you like to have a cup of coffee? (ii) If you wanted to perform well, you shall work hard. (iii) We can reach Delhi by road.

Activity 16

Write a paragraph on a recent Tree Plantation Drive undertaken by your school. Your paragraph should be in about seventy words. Give the following details:

• Name and location of your school
• Date, time and place of the Tree Plantation Programme
• Inauguration Ceremony
• The participants
• Guests present, if any
• Cultural programme to mark the day
• Your role

Paragraph:

Our school, Green Valley High, located in the heart of the city, organized a Tree Plantation Programme on June 5th, 2024, at 10 AM, near the school playground. The event was inaugurated by the local environmental activist, Ms. Anya Sharma. Students from grades 6 to 9, teachers, and a few community volunteers participated enthusiastically. As a student volunteer, I helped distribute saplings and guide the younger children. This initiative aimed to promote environmental awareness and contribute to a greener future.

Let's work together : 🤝

A. Mother Nature smiles when spring comes. She decorates herself with tender green leaves and colourful flowers. Make a scrapbook entry describing three common flowers that you see blooming in spring. Draw their pictures alongside the descriptions. Work in pairs.

B. We celebrate the season of spring too. There are many festivals during spring. Find out how different sections of the society enjoy the festivals. In your scrapbook write about any two festivals of spring. Draw or paste pictures of such festivals alongside the write-ups. Work in groups.