Orpheus - A Greek Myth

Long, long ago in Greece, there was a man named Orpheus, who played an excellent lyre. His music was so good that it soothed the savage beasts, and even the rocks and stones were moved. Orpheus and his lyre made everyone and everything really happy. And there was one person who made Orpheus really happy; her name was Eurydice.

One day Eurydice was out frolicking in the woods when she was bitten by a snake.

The snake died, but Eurydice died too.

Hades came and took Eurydice away to the Underworld. When Orpheus heard the news, he was saddened by it so much that he hung up his lyre and stopped playing it. Then one day someone came along and asked Orpheus why he no longer played his lyre and said that his music was so beautiful, that it could even waken the dead. This gave Orpheus an idea. He knew that the entrance to the Underworld was hidden by some rocks. So, Orpheus took down his lyre and went out into the mountains. Then he played for all of the rocks, and stones, and boulders. Finally, two large boulders rocked and rolled, revealing the entrance to the Underworld. Orpheus stepped in the cave and found himself face to face with the three-headed dog Cerberus. Orpheus took out his lyre and began playing. This soothed Cerberus and Orpheus managed to slip by.

Chorus:
Down, down, down, through the dark and the chill journeyed Orpheus with his lyre. Till he came to the river, the river Styx.

After walking through a long tunnel, he found Charon, an eerie skeleton who ferried the dead across the river Styx. Once again Orpheus took out his lyre and began playing. Charon liked the music so much that he ferried Orpheus across the river.

Chorus:
So he ferried on over the River Styx ‘til he came to the palace of Hades.

Orpheus called out for Hades, awakening the god of the Underworld from his afternoon nap. Hades appeared and grumpily asked Hades what he wanted. After much stuttering, Orpheus finally managed to get out that he was there for Eurydice. Hades told Orpheus that he should have just said that in the first place, then he gave a flat out "NO". Orpheus knew that his only chance was to charm Hades with his lyre.

And so Orpheus played and before long Hades couldn't stop himself from dancing. He gave in and told Orpheus that he could have anything he wanted - just as long as he stopped playing that awful happy music. Hades allowed Eurydice to go on the condition that Orpheus not speak to her, look at her, or touch her until they were out.

Chorus:
So they started the journey, the long spooky journey and came once again to the river Styx. Over the river they started the climb back up, up, up to the top.

"There is the entrance!" Orpheus thought. "We're almost there . . . but if we're almost there, that's as good as being there. Right?" So, Orpheus turned to get a look at Eurydice. But Eurydice dodged his gaze and hid behind him. Orpheus kept turning and Eurydice kept dodging behind him. Finally, Orpheus couldn't stand it. "Eurydice?" he asked. "Yes dear!" came a harsh raspy voice from behind him. Orpheus turned around and there in Eurydice's place was Hades. "Ha! Fooled you." Hades said. Then dragging Eurydice off he said to Eurydice, "Come on, back to the resort." And although Orpheus continued to play his lyre all of his songs were tearjerkers and he taught the rest of the world the sound of sadness.

~The End