Orpheus, an ex-naval man, (he was one of the Argonauts), is a superb musician, and has settled down with his wife, Eurydice, near Thebes (Greece, not Egypt), where he spends his time on his music.  Across the road lives a bee-keeper called Aristaeus, on whom Eurydice spends her time.  Yes, your suspicions are correct - Eurydice has got tired of Orpheus; he is tired of her, too, and they both long to be single again.  The hidden snag is that Aristaeus is not at all the simple shepherd and bee-keeper that Eurydice thinks he is.  Far from it, he is really Pluto, the King of the Underworld, paying a visit to Earth incognito, and getting a lot of quiet fun out of it.

Pluto arranges for a convenient snake to give Eurydice a fatal bite, thus ensuring her departure to the Underworld.  Orpheus is delighted, but his mother, Calliope, a determined woman, is shocked that he should accept his wife's death so happily, and she decides that he is to make a high-powered fuss about it, and she'll jolly well see that he does.  So Calliope and Orpheus set out for Mount Olympus to lodge a formal complaint before Jupiter, the King of the Gods.  Daedalus and Son (Air Transport) Limited is their obvious choice of travel agents, and a personally conducted tour is laid on for them by the junior partner of the firm, Icarus.

On Mount Olympus we meet the assembled goddage, but we don't find there the expected divine atmosphere of peace and blissful contentment.  For the Gods are bored - bored with ambrosia, bored with nectar, bored with harping, and especially bored with Jupiter's autocratic patronage.  Mercury's daily stories of the outside world are always welcome, particularly when there is a bit of spice in them, and today's tale of the goings-on near Thebes - the death of Eurydice, how it happened, why it happened, and what has sparked it off - gives them all something to talk out.  Among themselves they unhesitatingly declare Pluto guilty and they all agree that he must put in an appearance at court.  Pluto's attendance causes some embarrassment all round, and Jupiter decides to pay an official visit to the Underworld, taking the others with him.

Meanwhile in Pluto's absence, Eurydice is finding the Underworld dull and can raise no enlivening conversation with Styx, (Pluto's valet, now Eurydice's gaoler); this is scarcely surprising, as Styx would never be the life and soul of any party, social or political.  On his return to his kingdom, Pluto organises a Festival of the Underworld, with Bacchus as compere, to include revels on a grand scale.  Jupiter discovers Eurydice and, with Cupid's assistance, has a very pleasant tête-à-tête with her - to his great delight, and we hop, to yours, too.  After the revels, Jupiter, again with Cupid's assistance, comes to a decision about Eurydice's return to Earth, and makes his official pronouncement.  This does not turn out quite as expected, and is, in fact, as much of a surprise to the gods as we think it will to you mortals.

Original legend

Orpheus was the son of Calliope and Apollo.  After sailing to Colchis with the Argonauts he married Eurydice and settled in Thrace.  One day, Aristaeus, who was also the son of Apollo, but by the nymph Cyrene, tried to seduce his half sister-in-law, but whilst trying to escape, she trod on a serpent and died.  She descended in Tartarus, whence Orpheus bravely followed to search for her.  With his music he charmed the ferryman Charon, the three-headed dog Cerberus, and the three judges of the dead.  He also so soothed the savage breast of Pluto (Hades) that he gave him permission to take his wife back to earth - one one condition.  Eurydice was to walk behind him all the way, but if he looked back he would lose her.  They set off for the upper world with Eurydice following the sound of her husband's lyre through the dark passages, but when he reached the sunlight Orpheus looked back to make sure she was following, and he lost her forever.