Hades asked Zeus if he could marry her, Zeus dare not say no because he did not want to upset Hades. He knew that if he said yes Demeter would be angry. Whatever he answered would be wrong, so he did not answer. Zeus hoped that Hades would just forget Persephone.

One day as she was sitting alone by a lake Hades; god of the Underworld stole her and took her away to his home to become his wife.

When Demeter found that her daughter was missing she was very worried. She stopped eating and drinking, wore a dark veil and spent the whole time searching for her. Demeter went to the sun god;Helios. She thought that in his daily journey across the sky he must have seen what happened to Persephone. Helios told her that Hades had stolen Persephone away and married her, and that she must stay in the Underworld with him.

Demeter was so upset she would not let the plants grow. People and animals died because there was no food. Zeus sent for her and said that as long as Persephone had not eaten in the Underworld she could be freed. Hades could not argue because he knew that she had refused all food.

Persephone was back in her mother's arms when Hades gardener arrived and said that she had sucked on seven pomegranate seeds. That meant that she had to go back to the Underworld. Persephone cried and Demeter cried. It was decided that Persephone could live on earth for nine months, but must spend the other three months each year in the Underworld. Every year whilst Persephone was away Demeter refused to allow any plants to grow. The trees would lose their leaves and all plants would die away to come again when Persephone was free. For evermore there was to be a winter each year.