Demeter searched the world far and wide and could not find her beautiful daughter.  One day she saw the god Apollo flying over head and begged him, "Pity me Apollo in what I have become do you know where the child I so love is?"  Apollo pitied the goddess and told her she had been taken to the underworld.

Demeter then went to mount Olympus and asked Zeus to make Pluto return her daughter.  Zeus agreed that Persephone should be returned as without her it was clear all would soon die on the earth, and in haste he sent Hermes to get her from the underworld.  On his way to the underworld Hermes would tell all that Persephone was soon to return, and with her life would spring forth once again.

Upon reaching the underworld it became evident that Persephone had eaten a pomegranate  in the palace of Pluto.  Whoever ate in the underworld was not allowed to return to the living world.  However, Pluto had fallen in love with Persephone and pitying the weeping Persephone he told her, "We must obey the rules that have been set and you have eaten in the underworld, yet you did not finish the pomegranate that you ate.  For every seed you swallowed you must live 1 month in the underworld for all the rest you may return to your mother."  Persephone had swallowed six seeds which translated to six months of having to stay with Pluto in a year, the other six month she could be with her mother Demeter.  

Upon returning to her mother Demeter became overjoyed and the haggard old goddess became young and beautiful once again.  Demeter decided that for six months in the year when Persephone was around Demeter would create life so that her daughter may be in bliss.  In the six months that Persephone was in the underworld Demeter would await her and at the time that her daughter returned she would take out all the treasures of the earth she had been preparing.  When Persephone would be gone, Demeter would slowly put the earth into a sleep covering it with rain and snow, until it was time to reawaken it for her daughters return.   In this manner we have seasons, seasons that are created as a result of Demeter awaiting her child's return.