pina nearly fell backwards. There
she stood, holding the stem in her hand and looking at the big hole
which its roots had left in the earth.

To her surprise this hole began to grow wider and wider, and deeper
and deeper, and a rumbling noise came out of it. Louder and louder it
grew, nearer and nearer it came, just like the tramp of horses' feet
and the rattling of wheels.

Proserpina was too frightened now to run away, and soon she saw a
wonderful thing. Two black horses, with smoke coming out of their
nostrils and with long black tails and flowing black manes, came
tearing their way out of the earth, and a splendid golden chariot was
rattling at their heels.

The horses leaped out of the hole, chariot and all, and came close to
the spot where Proserpina stood.

Then she saw there was a man in the chariot. He was very richly
dressed, with a crown on his head all made of diamonds which sparkled
like fire. He was a very handsome man, but looked rather cross and
discontented, and he kept rubbing his eyes and covering them with his
hand, as if he did not care much for the bright sunshine.

As soon as he saw Proserpina, the man waved to her to come a little
nearer. "Do not be afraid," he said. "Come! would you not like to ride
a little way with me in my beautiful chariot?"

But Proserpina was very frightened, and no wonder. The stranger did
not look a very kind or pleasant man. His voice was so gruff and deep,
and sounded just like the rumbling Proserpina had heard underneath the
earth.

She at once began to cry out, "Mother, mother! O Mother Ceres, come
quickly and save me!"

[Illustration: HE CAUGHT HER IN HIS ARMS AND SPRANG INTO THE CHARIOT.]

But her voice was very shaky and too faint for Mother Ceres to hear,
for by this time she was many thousands of miles away making the corn
grow in another country.

No sooner did Proserpina begin to cry out than the strange man leaped
to the ground; he caught her in his arms and sprang into the chariot,
then he shook the reins and shouted to the two black horses to set
off. They began to gallop so fast that it was just like flying, and in
less than a minute Proserpina had lost sight of the sunny fields where
she and her mother had always lived.

She screamed and screamed and all the beautiful flowers fell out of
her apron to the ground.

But Mother Ceres was too far away to know what was happening to her
little daughter.

"Why are you so frightened, my little gi