Orpheus and Eurydice

Orpheus was famous for being the best musician long ago. People say his dad was the god Apollo, who was really good at music, and his mom was the Muse Calliope. He lived in Thrace, which is a part of Greece. Orpheus sang so beautifully that everyone loved to listen to him. When he was a boy, he quickly learned to play the lyre, a musical instrument. The story goes that his music was so amazing that even gods, people, rocks, and trees wanted to be near him.

• lyre (noun) – An ancient musical instrument with strings.

People in old stories say that Orpheus taught humans how to farm, write, and make medicines. He also knew about the stars, could tell what would happen in the future, and started special ceremonies. His music was weird but cool, and it made people think about big ideas and mysteries.

• ceremonies (noun) – Special events with formal activities.

Orpheus wasn’t just good at music; he was also brave and liked adventures. He went on a famous trip with a guy named Jason and other heroes to find a special thing called the Golden Fleece. Orpheus played his music to make a dragon fall asleep, so Jason could take the Golden Fleece. His music also saved them from scary creatures called Sirens, who tried to trick men with their voices and then hurt them.

• fleece (noun) – The wool coat of a sheep, often used in myths to mean a magical object.

When Orpheus was young, he spent a lot of time playing music and making poems. He became very famous and people and animals loved his music. Even things that are not alive, like rocks, wanted to be close to him. He was really good at playing the lyre and singing, and lots of people came to listen to him. One day, he saw a pretty forest fairy named Eurydice. She loved his music. They couldn’t stop looking at each other and they felt something special. They fell in love and wanted to be together all the time. They decided to get married.

On their wedding day, the weather was nice and sunny. The god of marriage was happy for them, and everyone had a big party. People laughed and had fun. When the day was ending, the guests left, and Orpheus and Eurydice knew it was time to go home.

But even very happy times can have sad moments. One day, something bad happened to Orpheus, who was loved by everyone. There was a man named Aristaeus who didn’t like Orpheus and wanted Eurydice for himself. He was a shepherd and made a plan to get Eurydice. He hid in the bushes to wait for them. He wanted to jump out, attack, and hurt Orpheus. When Aristaeus tried to attack, Orpheus took Eurydice’s hand and they ran fast through the forest.

• shepherd (noun) – A person who takes care of sheep.

Orpheus and Eurydice were running for a long time, and Aristaeus was still chasing them without getting tired. Suddenly, Orpheus felt Eurydice fall and let go of his hand. He didn’t understand what happened and went to her quickly. He was very sad because he saw that she looked like she was dying. Aristaeus was gone because he saw that Eurydice had stepped on snakes and a very dangerous snake bit her. He knew she couldn’t live, so he left, feeling angry and upset at Orpheus and himself. Eurydice died from the snake bite and went to the place called the Underworld where dead people go.

• Underworld (noun) – The place where dead people go in myths.

Orpheus was so sad that he walked around for days, singing about how sad he was to people passing by. His sadness was so strong that even rocks and wild animals felt sad. Even the gods in the sky listened, but they couldn’t do anything about the Underworld, which was a dark place.

Orpheus kept walking with his lyre, and no one stopped him from going anywhere. He found a secret cave that took him to the Underworld where Hades, the king of the dead, lived. Orpheus wasn’t scared and went in. His strong feelings helped him find his way in the dark place. He crossed a dark river called Styx that even gods think is very important. An old boatman named Charon, who takes dead people across the river, didn’t ask Orpheus for the coin that everyone has to pay because Orpheus was singing. His singing was special because he was a human and sang about things like being young, love, dying, and how beautiful the Earth is, and how sad it is to lose someone you love.

• Styx (noun) – A mythical river that separated the living from the dead.

In the Underworld, dead people drink from a pool called Lethe, and they forget everything about their lives and are not sad anymore. But Orpheus’ singing was so powerful that it made the dead people remember their lives on Earth, the sun, the moon, green grass, and their homes. They remembered happiness and sadness and started crying.

Even some scary creatures called Erinyes felt bad for him. People who did bad things and were being punished felt sad for Orpheus. A man named Sisyphus, who had to keep pushing a big rock up a hill, stopped to listen. Some girls who had to keep filling water with a leaky bucket stopped their work. Another man named Tantalus, who was always hungry and thirsty but couldn’t reach food and water, didn’t feel hungry or thirsty when he heard Orpheus sing.

• punished (past verb) – Made to suffer because of bad behavior.

So, Orpheus, surrounded by many ghosts, sang with all his feelings in front of the king and queen of the Underworld. The queen’s name was Persephone, and she started crying and missing her home when she heard his song. She remembered fields with growing plants and her mother, Demeter, who is very beautiful.

Hades, the king, cried openly. Persephone’s heart felt warm, and even Cerberus, the big dog with three heads that guards the Underworld, put his paws over his ears and cried loudly. Orpheus sang so beautifully that Hades told him Eurydice could come back to the living world with him. They brought Eurydice, and she looked like she didn’t belong in the dark Underworld. But Hades said Orpheus must not look back at her until they were out. If he looked back too soon, Eurydice would have to stay and Orpheus would leave alone.

Orpheus was very happy and hurried to leave, thinking about Eurydice behind him. They went past the pool Lethe and across the river Styx. Eurydice was quiet and looked like a ghost. The Underworld was dark and silent, and Orpheus really wanted to see her because it had been so long. He wasn’t sure if she was really there because it was rare for Hades to let someone go. When they were almost out and could see light, Orpheus forgot the rule and turned to see if Eurydice was there. But he broke the promise!

Eurydice gave him a kind smile, but it was too late. Orpheus tried to hug her, but she disappeared like snow melting in your hands. He heard her say goodbye, and then she was gone.

Orpheus wanted to go back in, but Charon, the boatman, stopped him. Orpheus stayed near the entrance for seven days, but Hades wouldn’t listen to his songs anymore because he broke the promise. Orpheus went back to Earth, but he wasn’t happy. He died young and kept singing. Nightingales, birds that sing beautifully, made nests near where he was buried. His music instrument, the lyre, was placed in the sky with the stars. Orpheus went to the Underworld again, but this time he didn’t need permission. He and Eurydice were together, and they were happy and not sad anymore.

• permission (noun) – The approval to do something.

THE END