Creative Writing

#3
Task 3 Reading activity

Direction: Read and comprehend the following work of fiction.

Orpheus and Eurydice

There has only been one mortal whose skill at playing the lyre compared with
the skill of the god of music, golden Apollo, and that mortal’s name was Orpheus.
When he played, the birds would swoop down from the heavens and sit on the
branches above his head. When he played, the animals of the
fields would gather round him, their heads cocked to one side.
Now Orpheus had fallen in love with a woman called Eurydice. There was a
wedding, a magnificent wedding, but all through the wedding ceremony the candles
and the lamps in the temple gave off an oily black smoke so that the guests coughed
and choked. Even the priests had to wipe tears from their eyes. They looked at one
another and shook their heads: ‘This is a bad omen. Such things should never happen
at a wedding.’ And the priests were right to be worried.
The very next morning Eurydice woke up early. She climbed out of the bed
where Orpheus was still deep in sleep. She pulled on her clothes and went out
walking. The dawn was breaking. A snake that was coiled up on a rock woke up. It slid
through the grass just as Eurydice was walking barefoot across the meadow. Their
paths crossed. It sunk its fangs into her ankle; its poison coursed through her veins.
With a cry she fell to the ground. When Orpheus found her, she was lying dead and
cold. He lifted her in his arms. He carried her home, his face wet with tears.
When the funeral was finished, when the pyre had burned and the heat of the
fire’s heart had consumed the house of bone, Orpheus picked up his lyre and set off
on a great journey. He travelled over land and sea until he came to a dark cave. He
made his way through tunnels that wound to the left and right. He delved into
darkness. At last he came to the edge of an oily, black river, the river of forgetfulness.
On the far side of it he could see the shadowy hills of the country he was seeking. He
was looking across towards the land of the dead.
Orpheus stared over the water, with only the thought of Eurydice in his mind.
How could his lovely bride be there, in that strange dark place? Suddenly there came
the sound of growling, then a harsh barking. Out of the shadows the great three-
headed dog Cerberus, who guards the riverbank, leapt at
Orpheus, his lips curled back from his teeth. Orpheus lifted his lyre to his shoulder and
began to play; and such was the beauty of his music that the monstrous dog stopped
in his tracks, wagged his tail, closed his six red eyes, rolled onto his back and howled
with his three heads. The beauty of the music floated out across the water and
reached the ears of Charon, the ferryman. He poled his boat towards the sound.
Orpheus never stopped playing his lyre. He stepped from the bank into the boat and
the ancient ferryman pushed away from the land and poled his boat across the river.
When they reached the far side, Orpheus, still playing, jumped from the boat and
walked into the shadows.
Soon there was a whispering around him, a rustling, a shuffling, like the sound
of the wind blowing through dead leaves: the dead were gathering. They were
following him. They were enchanted by his music. It made them weep for sorrows
they could not remember any more; it made them laugh for joys that were forgotten,
for the dead have lost all memory of their lives. They’re a drifting host of whispering
ghosts.
 On and on Orpheus walked, surrounded by the dead, and then he saw a palace
loom out of the shadows. As he approached it, the dead fell back. He found that he
was walking alone. He was approaching the dwelling place of their king. He made his
way between black gates; he climbed steps of black stone; a doorway of black ebony
swung open before him. He entered the hall. At the far end of it there were two
thrones. On one sat the king of terrors, Hades himself, his eyes as deep as open
graves, his black beard spread across his belly. Beside Hades sat his wife, beautiful
Persephone. She was like a moon shining in a dark sky, like a mistletoe berry in the
depths of winter. Orpheus, still playing his lyre, walked up to the two thrones. He
stood before the god and goddess. He looked into their faces and then he began to
sing.
‘We mortals are wretched things and the gods who know no care have woven
sorrow into the pattern of our lives. Even the sparrow on the branch, even the wren in
the willow knows more of sorrow than the thundering gods, who have never felt the
cold hand of death closing around their hearts. But you, you mighty gods, you have
known the sweet pains of love. You have felt Aphrodite’s shining shafts. Great Hades
imagine those summer months, when Persephone is gone, lasting forever. Imagine, if
you can, her pale face crumbling into dust. That is how it is for mortal man. Great
Hades, I beg you, give me back my Eurydice.’
There was a silence. Then Persephone turned to Hades, her face streaming with
silver tears, and Hades turned to his wife. One oily black tear trickled down his cheek
and splashed onto his beard. He drew breath and spoke: ‘Fetch me the three Fates.’
The three ancient sisters were brought before him, the first who spins out the
thread of a life, the second who measures its length and the third who cuts it. Hades
looked into the wrinkled, leathery face of the third sister. ‘Find the cut thread of
Eurydice’s life and mend it.’
The third sister bowed before the god.
Hades turned to Orpheus. ‘Now go! Leave my palace! Leave my realm, and she
will follow you. But do not look behind you. Do not look over your shoulder until the
light of the sun shines full on your face.’
Orpheus bowed. He turned on his heel and left the palace. He made his way
across the shadowy kingdom until he came to the river’s edge. Charon, the ferryman,
was waiting for him; he climbed into the boat. As he sat down, he felt it tremble, as if
someone had climbed in behind him. He kept his eyes fixed on the far shore. When
they reached the riverbank, he stepped out of the boat and behind him he could hear
footsteps, soft footsteps following him. As he journeyed, he could sometimes hear the
snap of a twig. Sometimes he thought he could feel Eurydice’s breath on the back of
his neck. And still he looked ahead. He made his way through the tunnel of stone. And
then at last he was out of the cave and breathing the fresh air of the living world.
Above him the sky was bright with shining stars. Soon, he thought to himself, soon
the dawn will break, and the light of the sun will shine on my face.
But as Eurydice was following Orpheus, she caught her foot on a stone, she
tripped, and she fell. Orpheus heard her stumble and without thinking he turned to
catch her in his arms. He tried to break her fall and for a single moment he saw her
face, pale beneath the silver stars. And then his arms closed around empty air and
she was gone. In the land of many guests, the third Fate cut the thread of Eurydice’s
life for the second time. And this time there would be no mending it.
Orpheus turned, he ran back into the cave, he journeyed down into darkness
until he came to the edge of the oily black water. He shouted her name and there was
no answer. And then the three-headed dog Cerberus came, growling and snarling and
snapping at his ankles; and Charon the ancient ferryman cursed him and spat at him.
And Orpheus knew there could be no return to the land of the dead. So he made his
way back to the living world and he devoted himself to his music, which was more
beautiful than ever, woven through with a silver thread of sorrow. And Orpheus never
saw Eurydice again. Never.
EXPLORE!
1. Describe your feelings after reading the selection
2. Can the story happen in real life? Why?
3. Characterize Orpheus as a person
4. Identify an event in the story that you like most and explain its relevance
in your life as a student.