sufferings at an end; sooner than face the dragons and climb the
rugged rocks she must die. But again Eros helped her, for he
sent the eagle of Zeus, the All-Father, and the eagle took the
crystal urn in his claws, flew past the dragons, settled on the
rock, and drew the water of the black fountain, and gave it
safely to Psyche, who carried it back and presented it to the
angry Aphrodite. But the goddess, still determined that Psyche
should perish, set her another task, the hardest and most
dangerous of all. "Take this box," she said, "go with it into
the infernal regions to Persephone, and ask her for a portion of
her beauty, that I may adorn myself with it for the supper of
the gods." Now on hearing this, poor Psyche knew that the
goddess meant to destroy her; so she went up to a lofty tower,
meaning to throw herself down headlong so that she might be
killed, and thus pass into the realm of Hades, never to return.
But the tower was an enchanted place, and a voice from it spoke
to her and bade her be of good cheer, and told her what to do.
She was to go to a city of Achaia and find near it a mountain,
and in the mountain she would see a gap, from which a narrow
road led straight into the infernal regions. But the voice
warned her of many things which must be done on the journey, and
of others which must be avoided. She was to take in each hand a
piece of barley bread, soaked in honey, and in her mouth she was
to put two pieces of money. On entering the dreary path she
would meet an old man driving a lame ass, laden with wood, and
the old man would ask her for help, but she was to pass him by
in silence. Then she would come to the bank of the black river,
over which the boatman Charon ferries the souls of the dead; and
from her mouth Charon must take one piece of money, she saying
not a word. In crossing the river a dead hand would stretch