Orpheus and Eurydice:
Orpheus was one of Greek heroes and had two great loves:
he loved his harp,and he loved the beautiful Eurydice.
he loved her most of all.
when he sang and played his harp,all living things came near to hear him.the birds came into the trees over his head;the snakes came out of their holes;the bears came out of the forest;the horses stood and listened in the fields.
Eurydice loved his singing.when he came back from his long journey (in mission with other Greek heroes)she became his wife.
but one day,when she was walking in the fields,Eurydice put her foot on a snake the snake bit her.she cried out and fell down,Orpheus ran to her and took her head in his hands.her eyes were shut.she was dead.
for many days,Orpheus walked over the hills and in the forests,singing sadly because of his lost Eurydice.all living things were sad when they heard him singing.
Orpheus goes to Zeus,and to the country of the dead:
at last,Orpheus went to Zeus(the greatest of the Greek gods),and said "Eurydice is dead.i don't want to live without her.i want to go into the country of the dead and find Eurydice.if i can't bring her back,i want to saty in the country of the dead with her".
Zeus saw how sad he was.he heard how sadly and how beautifully he sang.and he said "Go,Orpheus.Go to Hades,the king of the dead,and ask him to give her back to you".
so Orpheus went to the country of the dead(the world of death and Hades is the God of death),there he saw Charon (the boatman who carries dead people from life to death world across the river Styx in his boat).
Orpheus said " take me over the river"
but Charon said "I can't take you over the river;you're living.i take the dead across the river,but not the living".
then Orpheus sang.when Charon heared him,he couldn't say "No",he carried Orpheus across the river Styx to the country
of dead.
on the other side of the river,there were a great gate.agreat dog with three terrible heads was sitting there as a guard,"Open the gate,Cerberus" said Orpheus."I want to go into the place of the dead".
Cerberus answered, "you're living.I can't open the gate to the living.i open the gate for the dead,and you're not dead".
but Orpheus sang,and Cerberus heard him and opened the gate at once to enter Orpheus.
The place of the dead:
first Orpheus saw some of the people who had not led good lives.there was one man standing in water,and trying to drink it.
but when he tried to drink,the water ran away.there was an apple tree near him,but he could never reach the apples;they always moved just alittle away from his hands.
another man had to push a great stone up a hill.he almost got the sotne to the top of the hill,but then it fell down again,then he went down and tried to push it up again.and so it went on,again and again,up-up-and-down!day after day,year after year--for ever.
Hades"the God of dead" :
Orpheus came to the house of God Hades.he went into the great hall,where Hades sat with his queen,Persephone.Goddess Persephone
goes up every year into the country of the living.
when she is there,the sun becomes hot;the days are long;flowers come out in the gardens;apples grow on the trees,and the birds sing.when Persephone goes back to the place of the dead,everything dies,and men sit in their houses near the fire.
Orpheus said "O God Hades and Godess Persephone,Please give me back Eurydice" and he sang very sadly,telling them how much he loved
Eurydice and how much he wanted to be with her.
then Hades said "Go back,Orpheus,and Eurydice shall walk behind you.but don't speak to her as you go.Don't look back at her.if you give one look,she'll fall back into the place of dead,and you will never see her again"
Orpheus looks back:
then Orpheus began his journey back to the country of the living.as he walked,he sang about his love for Eurydice.and as he walked he heard Eurydice walking behind him,and his heart was full of happiness.the great dog Cerberus opened the gate to him,and he came to the river Styx.he sat in the front of Charon's boat,and he heard Eurydice get in behind him.they went across the river and began to walk up--up towards the sun.
As they came near the country of the living,and Orpheus saw the sun in front of him,he wondered " Is Eurydice as beautiful as she was when i used to sing to her?" he looked back at her.she gave a little cry and she had gone!!Orpheus couldn't go to bring her back.He walked over hills,by the side of the rivers and in forests,singing sadly.
At last he died.he came to the River Styx,and Charon carried him across "you're dead" he said "Now i can carry you".
the great dog Cerberus opened the gate and he went into the place of the dead,and there he saw Eurydice-as beautiful as she was when he used to sing to her in the country of living.he took her hand,and they walked through the gardens and fields,where the good men go when they die,and all are happy for Ever....
HAPPY END
****MY OWN COMMENT:
well it's so romantic and impressive story but i advise women not to expect to find a man like this Orpheus who donated his life to her lady and didn't care about his soul,
we must remember it's mythology and not true..of course with respect to men..but is there a true love in our world nowadays????
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