1-89:     Zeus’ will or plan (Boule) for Hades to marry Persephone
 Earth produces Narcissus--a trick (dolon), a wonder for all to see
Persephone, with her friends, the Oceanids, in a meadow, picks the flower
 Hades on golden chariot from gaping hole in ground
 The maiden, unwilling, called on her father; she was hopeful as long as she saw earth, sky, sea
 Demeter heard her daughter's cry; she felt sharp grief, tore her veil, and rushed like a bird searching
 For nine days, she tasted no ambrosia, did not wash, searched with torches
 Hekate heard also the girl's voice and joined Demeter, Rhea’s daughter.  Together they darted off to Helios
 Helios revered greatly and pitied Demeter: He told how Zeus gave to Hades the youthful wife, seized wailing loudly, down to the misty gloom; He advises Demeter to put stop to mourning;  He asserts that Hades is not unfit son-in-law because he has honor in his share of the world's three fold division; he is the allotted ruler (of the underworld).

90-312: Demeter feels more terrible and savage grief; angered, she avoided the assembly of gods and Olympos
Instead, she went among cities and fields of men; She softened her form and looked  like an old woman;
She meets four daughters of Keleos at well;  They great her kindly.  She says her name is Doso and tells a mythos
of how she had been kidnapped but escaped.  She asks for work and they offer her the job of nursemaid to their
newborn brother Demophoon.  After consulting with their mother, they lead her to their home.
 In Keleos’ home Metaneira sits by pillar holding child;  when she entered the home, the goddess’ head touches the  roof-beam
and she shone with a divine radiance.   She is given a comfortable seat and she asks for a special drink, Kykeon.,  The servant Iambe tells jokes but still Demeter/Doso sat wasting away with longing for her deep-girdled daughter
 Metaneira addresses first and refers to the gods’ gifts; She notes the stranger's reverence in her eyes; Doso responds.
She undertakes the child's care and plans to make him a god:  Ambrosia, breath, embrace; fire.  Accordingly Demophoon became like the gods to look on.  Metaneira went to check up on her child one night.  She saw the nurse putting her baby in the fire and cried out wailing.  Demeter angered, thrust child to ground and rebuked the mortal mother:
     “Mortals are foolish and without the sense to know their destiny, ahead of time, when good comes, or evil,
       and you too were hopelessly blinded by your own folly.”
 Nonetheless she makes an oath on Styx that Demophoon will have unfailing honor as hero;
She also reveals her real identity: “I am Demeter, holder of honor, greatest joy  and help to mortals and immortals.”
She instructs the mortals to build a temple with its altar;   Here she “will teach rites so that you may propitiate my heart.”
In her divine epiphany, she changed her size and form and thrust away old age,  Now her immortal skin and golden hair shone.
The house filled with light--as if from lightning.  She left.  The daughters aided their mother and baby brother.
They tried to propitiate the goddess and told their father of her instructions.
The Eleusinians held an assembly and built the temple as instructed.
But golden-haired Demeter remained sitting, apart from blessed ones, wasting away with longing for her deep-girdled daughter.
There followed a terrible and savage year, no seed sprouted.  She would have destroyed whole race of men and would have deprived Olympians of splendid honor of gifts and sacrifices

313-495: However, Zeus noticed, pondered in his heart, sent Iris, all other gods and goddesses to request Demeter's return and to offer all honor to her.
 Demeter, angry, steadfastly spurned their words and said she would never step foot on fragrant Olympos nor sprout seed for the earth-- until she saw with her own eyes her fair-faced daughter.
Finally Zeus sends  Hermes  to Hades to retrieve Persephone, who was “very reluctant in longing for mother”
 Hermes tells of Demeter’s “Plan” (Boule) --destroy feeble tribes of men and gods’ honors
 Hades smiles with eyebrows, promises honors to Persephone, gives one pomegranate seed.
 After Persephone is reunited joyfully with her mother; Demeter questions whether she had eaten anything and proposes that if she has, she will spend two thirds of the year on Olympos and one third of the year with Hades.
 Rhea conveys Zeus’ acceptance and requests Demeter's return; Hecate joins as Persephone’s companion.
 Demeter restores crops; Then she teaches the men of Eleusis her secret mysteries: