RELATED BY CHEIRON THE CENTAUR[1]

"There is a cavern somewhere on Mount Pelion larger by far and a
thousand times more beautiful than this; but its doorway is hidden to
mortals, and but few men have ever stood beneath its vaulted roof. In
that cavern the ever-living ones who oversee the affairs of men, once
held high carnival; for they had met there at the marriage feast of
King Peleus, and the woods and rocks of mighty Pelion echoed with the
sound of their merry-making. But wherefore should the marriage feast
of a mortal be held in such a place and with guests so noble and so
great? I will tell you.

"After Peleus had escaped from a plot which some wicked men had made
for his destruction, he dwelt long time with me, who am his
grandfather. But the days seemed long to him, thus shut out from
fellowship with men, and the sun seemed to move slowly in the heavens;
and often he would walk around to the other side of the mountain, and
sitting upon a great rock, he would gaze for long hours upon the purple
waters of the sea. One morning as thus he sat, he saw the sea nymph
Thetis come up out of the waves and walk upon the shore beneath him.
Fairer than a dream was she--more beautiful than any picture of nymph
or goddess. She was clad in a robe of green silk, woven by the sea
maidens in their watery grottoes; and there was a chaplet of pearls
upon her head, and sandals of sparkling silver were upon her feet.

"As Peleus gazed upon this lovely creature, he heard a voice whispering
in his ear. It was the voice of wise Athena.

"'Most luckless of mortal men,' she said, 'there is recompense in store