Persephone the Phony (Goddess Girls) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Joan Holub
Tags: Fiction, General, Social Science, Children's Books, Juvenile Fiction, Ages 9-12 Fiction, Social Issues, Children: Grades 4-6, Girls & Women, Friendship, School & Education, Folklore & Mythology, Schools, Legends; Myths; Fables, Social Issues - Friendship, Legends; Myths; & Fables - Greek & Roman, Mythology; Greek, Greek & Roman, Goddesses; Greek, Hades (Greek deity), Persephone (Greek deity)
already disappeared. She scowled at her so-called friends. "Why are you doing this?" Then her eyes narrowed with suspicion and she groaned. "Don't tell me. My mom put you up to this, didn't she?"
48
The Second Sandal
Aphrodite and Athena loosened their hold on Persephone. "Your mom?" Aphrodite asked blankly.
Persephone frowned. "Yes, my mom. It's just the kind of thing she would do. She's as overprotective as a suit of armor. Hades and I are friends--at least, we were starting to be."
49
Athena snorted. "Demeter has nothing to do with this."
"It was our idea," Artemis agreed. "You canno t be friends with Hades."
Persephone's eyes widened. "Why not?"
"Because," Aphrodite said, speaking slowly and clearly, "he's from the Underworl d."
"So?" said Persephone. "Just because someone comes from the wrong side of the world, it doesn't mean they aren't worth knowing."
Athena nodded. "True. But Hades is trouble with a capital T ! Everyone says so."
"Well, I don't believe it," Persephone said stubbornly.
The goddessgirls climbed to the top of a hill overlooking the river. "Anyway," Persephone added, "he
50
was about to show me where Mr. Cyclops's other sandal is hidden."
Just then shouts came from below. The four goddessgirls looked down. Pheme had found the second sandal. After an impromptu celebratory dance, she hoisted it over her spiky orange head with the help of two other goddessgirls.
Artemis eyed Persephone. "You were saying?" she said dryly.
Persephone blushed. "He must have shown Pheme where it was hidden instead." But though she scanned the faces near Pheme several times, she didn't see Hades.
Aphrodite shook her head. "We're your friends, Persephone. Take our advice. Stay away from Hades. He may be cute in a gloomy kind of way, but he's bad news."
51
Persephone opened her mouth to defend him again, but then she closed it. What if her friends and her mom were right? What if Hades had lied about showing her where the other giant sandal was? How well did she reall y know him?
By the time the goddessgirls returned to Mount Olympus and Persephone arrived home, she'd decided her gut feelings about Hades must have been wrong. After all, how could she be right about him when everyone else thought differently? Still, she felt sad to have to end their budding friendship.
Arriving at school the next day, Persephone crossed the courtyard and began to climb the wide granite steps to the bronze doors of the academy. She was halfway up when Hades stepped from behind a tall pillar
52
and came toward her. Persephone pretended not to see him and swerved to avoid him. Spotting Athena and her mortal roommate, Pandora, she raced to catch up with them.
"Where did you come from?" Pandora asked right away. Gold streaks in her blue hair glinted in the sunlight. And because she was mortal, she didn't have shimmery skin like Persephone and the other immortals. "You were down at the River Styx yesterday, weren't you? Do you think someone will take Mr. Cyclops's sandals again?"
Persephone didn't bother to reply, knowing it wasn't necessary. With Pandora, it was impossible to get a word in edgewise anyway. Sure enough, the girl quickly turned her questions back to Athena. As if a
53
symbol of her constant curiosity, Pandora's bangs clung to her forehead in the shape of a question mark.
On her way to Mr. Cyclops's class, Persephone saw Hades again. He was skulking along the hallway wearing a scowl. When he glimpsed her, however, his face lit up.
Ducking her head, Persephone raced across the hall and escaped into Mr. Cyclops's classroom. Just inside the door, she tripped over one of his sandals. This time, though, his foot was actually in it. " Someone' s in a hurry," he said. He plucked her from the floor as if she were a flower and set her upright on her stems.
"Thanks," she said.
Mr. Cyclops's enormous eye winked at her. "I think it's
54
great that you just couldn't wait to be in class." Persephone sighed as she took
48
The Second Sandal
Aphrodite and Athena loosened their hold on Persephone. "Your mom?" Aphrodite asked blankly.
Persephone frowned. "Yes, my mom. It's just the kind of thing she would do. She's as overprotective as a suit of armor. Hades and I are friends--at least, we were starting to be."
49
Athena snorted. "Demeter has nothing to do with this."
"It was our idea," Artemis agreed. "You canno t be friends with Hades."
Persephone's eyes widened. "Why not?"
"Because," Aphrodite said, speaking slowly and clearly, "he's from the Underworl d."
"So?" said Persephone. "Just because someone comes from the wrong side of the world, it doesn't mean they aren't worth knowing."
Athena nodded. "True. But Hades is trouble with a capital T ! Everyone says so."
"Well, I don't believe it," Persephone said stubbornly.
The goddessgirls climbed to the top of a hill overlooking the river. "Anyway," Persephone added, "he
50
was about to show me where Mr. Cyclops's other sandal is hidden."
Just then shouts came from below. The four goddessgirls looked down. Pheme had found the second sandal. After an impromptu celebratory dance, she hoisted it over her spiky orange head with the help of two other goddessgirls.
Artemis eyed Persephone. "You were saying?" she said dryly.
Persephone blushed. "He must have shown Pheme where it was hidden instead." But though she scanned the faces near Pheme several times, she didn't see Hades.
Aphrodite shook her head. "We're your friends, Persephone. Take our advice. Stay away from Hades. He may be cute in a gloomy kind of way, but he's bad news."
51
Persephone opened her mouth to defend him again, but then she closed it. What if her friends and her mom were right? What if Hades had lied about showing her where the other giant sandal was? How well did she reall y know him?
By the time the goddessgirls returned to Mount Olympus and Persephone arrived home, she'd decided her gut feelings about Hades must have been wrong. After all, how could she be right about him when everyone else thought differently? Still, she felt sad to have to end their budding friendship.
Arriving at school the next day, Persephone crossed the courtyard and began to climb the wide granite steps to the bronze doors of the academy. She was halfway up when Hades stepped from behind a tall pillar
52
and came toward her. Persephone pretended not to see him and swerved to avoid him. Spotting Athena and her mortal roommate, Pandora, she raced to catch up with them.
"Where did you come from?" Pandora asked right away. Gold streaks in her blue hair glinted in the sunlight. And because she was mortal, she didn't have shimmery skin like Persephone and the other immortals. "You were down at the River Styx yesterday, weren't you? Do you think someone will take Mr. Cyclops's sandals again?"
Persephone didn't bother to reply, knowing it wasn't necessary. With Pandora, it was impossible to get a word in edgewise anyway. Sure enough, the girl quickly turned her questions back to Athena. As if a
53
symbol of her constant curiosity, Pandora's bangs clung to her forehead in the shape of a question mark.
On her way to Mr. Cyclops's class, Persephone saw Hades again. He was skulking along the hallway wearing a scowl. When he glimpsed her, however, his face lit up.
Ducking her head, Persephone raced across the hall and escaped into Mr. Cyclops's classroom. Just inside the door, she tripped over one of his sandals. This time, though, his foot was actually in it. " Someone' s in a hurry," he said. He plucked her from the floor as if she were a flower and set her upright on her stems.
"Thanks," she said.
Mr. Cyclops's enormous eye winked at her. "I think it's
54
great that you just couldn't wait to be in class." Persephone sighed as she took
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