Part IV: Caught

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Soon after Kafés returned home, he planted the beans that he had stolen from Demeter and the nymphs. Surely they would not notices the few beans that he had stolen. He planted those beans the same day and by the next morning they had grown.

He had come out of his hut to see his neighbor staring at his land in awe. It had been transformed! The crops that he had planted before that refused to yield any fruit were now alive and giving off enough food to feed his family for generations to come. What was most amazing was the new trees that had grown. They were like nothing he had seen before. They held little red berries that when cracked open had beans that looked like the ones he had stolen. 

Tsái was overjoyed with her husband’s achievement. She was glad that they would no longer starve. She took the crops and made a feast for them to eat. While she was ecstatic at their new situation, she was curious. How did this happen? What did he do to get their farm to come to life? She ignored her questions and continued her celebrations. She took the mysterious crop that had come up from the earth and tried to cook with it. When roasted, they gave off a strong, rich aroma. She put one in her mouth and chewed. In an instant she spit it out. What the hell was that? It was disgusting! She tried to cook it a few different ways but nothing made it taste good. In a final attempt, she crushed them up, boiled them in some water and took a sip. It was not half bad. Kafés tried it and was pleasantly surprised as well. They mixed it with sugar and some milk and it made it even better! They began to sell it to their neighbors and the others in town. Soon they were famous and richer than they ever could have imagined. 

All was well in the Athan household until it was not. In the middle of a bright, sunny day, the sky darkened with clouds and the wind blew. Lightning and thunder struck and the wind grew even stronger. In a bright flash, Kafés was blinded and knocked over. “Kafés,” a thunderous voice called out, “You have offended the goddess Demeter and now you must pay the price.” Kafés opened his eyes to find a large, looming figure standing in front of him. He had never met this man before, but there was no mistaking who it could be: Zeus.