(ll. 281-291) And straightway Metaneira’s knees were loosed and she remained speechless for a long while and did not remember to take up her late-born son from the ground.  But his sisters heard his pitiful wailing and sprang down from their well-spread beds:  one of them took up the child in her arms and laid him in her bosom, while another revived the fire, and a third rushed with soft feet to bring their mother from her fragrant chamber.  And they gathered about the struggling child and washed him, embracing him lovingly; but he was not comforted, because nurses and handmaids much less skilful were holding him now.

(ll. 292-300) All night long they sought to appease the glorious goddess, quaking with fear.  But, as soon as dawn began to show, they told powerful Celeus all things without fail, as the lovely-crowned goddess Demeter charged them.  So Celeus called the countless people to an assembly and bade them make a goodly temple for rich-haired Demeter and an altar upon the rising hillock.  And they obeyed him right speedily and harkened to his voice, doing as he commanded.  As for the child, he grew like an immortal being.

(ll. 301-320) Now when they had finished building and had drawn back from their toil, they went every man to his house.  But golden-haired Demeter sat there apart from all the blessed gods and stayed, wasting with yearning for her deep-bosomed daughter.  Then she caused a most dreadful and cruel year for mankind over the all-nourishing earth:  the ground would not make the seed sprout, for rich-crowned Demeter kept it hid.  In the fields the oxen drew many a curved plough in vain, and much white barley was cast upon the land without avail.  So she would have destroyed the whole race of man with cruel famine and have robbed them who dwell on Olympus of their glorious right of gifts and sacrifices, had not Zeus perceived and marked this in his heart.  First he sent golden-winged Iris to call rich-haired Demeter, lovely in form.  So he commanded.  And she obeyed the dark-clouded Son of Cronos, and sped with swift feet across the space between.  She came to the stronghold of fragrant Eleusis, and there finding dark-cloaked Demeter in her temple, spake to her and uttered winged words: 

(ll. 321-323) `Demeter, father Zeus, whose wisdom is everlasting, calls you to come join the tribes of the eternal gods:  come therefore, and let not the message I bring from Zeus pass unobeyed.’

(ll. 324-333) Thus said Iris imploring her.  But Demeter’s heart was not moved.  Then again the father sent forth all the blessed and eternal gods besides:  and they came, one after the other, and kept calling her and offering many very beautiful gifts and whatever right she might be pleased to choose among the deathless gods.  Yet no one was able to persuade her mind and will, so wrath was she in her heart; but she stubbornly rejected all their words:  for she vowed that she would never set foot on fragrant Olympus nor let fruit spring out of the ground, until she beheld with her eyes her own fair-faced daughter.