Chapter Six
- Cupid and Psyche
Psyche was a beautiful young maiden that everybody loved. Aphrodite was jealous because everyone thought that Psyche was prettier than she was. Aphrodite, being the goddess that she was, decided to do something about it. So she "hired" the god of love to do this job (that would be Cupid). Psyche's sisters (who weren't very beautiful) got married, but no one ever wanted to marry Psyche; they just admired her beauty, but nobody ever really loved her. Her sisters were married to wonderful kings, lived in wonderful palaces, and lived wonderful lives. Psyche was jealous of her sisters because of her sisters' happiness when she was so lonely and sad.
Her parents were worried about her not having a husband, so they went to Apollo's Oracle and asked the Oracle what they should do so that she could get married.
The Oracle told them to take her to a hill where she would sit by herself until an evil winged serpent would come and marry her off. Her parents, thinking that any marriage is a good marriage, made her do this. So as planned she went and sat up the indicated hill. After a few days a strong breeze carried her off. When the wind set her down, she had come to a palace of grandeur and beauty. This palace made her sisters' palaces look like old moldy city dumps. Psyche went inside the palace, even though she knew that there was a monster inside. Every night when she went to sleep, she would hear the monster talking to her and comforting her. Her sisters were curious to see her new home and her new husband. And Psyche was eager to show off her beautiful palace. So she invited them to come and visit her. But before doing this she asked her husband if this was all right. He said that he would let her do as she pleased, but told her that her sisters would soon betray her. She was appalled that he thought this but loved him nonetheless. When her sisters arrived they were astounded at the grandeur of their little sister's life. The didn't want her to be happy and to have all of these wonderful things. But they did want it for themselves. They knew that their little sister loved them and would believe anything they told her. They used this factor to their advantage. Psyche's sisters asked her what her husband looked like. When she admitted that she didn't know, they persuaded her to check by telling her that any man that truly loved her would not mind revealing himself. She heard only common sense in this reply and decided to go through with her sisters' plot. That night she lit a candle and walked over to where the voice she heard at night usually came from. There on the bed she saw, not a monster, but a man. And not just any man a God. The God's name was cupid. In her shock, she forgot all about the burning candle in her hand. A little piece of wax dripped down onto the sleeping man's arm. He woke and seeing the situation immediately fled leaving behind a sad girl and the words, "Why did you not trust me?". Psyche was devastated. For she had been married to the Love God himself. She immediately left the palace in search of him, but no matter where she wandered she couldn't find him. Cupid on the other hand had arrived back in Mount Olympus. Aphrodite was furious when she found out what had happened. She blamed him for being shot with one of his own arrows, which made you fall in love. She saw Psyche wandering around on earth. She saw the lonely girls sadness, and became filled with joy. Psyche didn't get any mercy from Aphrodite than from her own sisters. Cupid was heart-broken. But did not want to think of Psyche all alone out searching for him. He tried to keep his mind on other issues. Those other issues included: Psyche, Psyche Psyche, and Psyche. Eventually he realized that he had to have her back to survive. He went down to earth and revealed himself to her. After she apologized, they went back to the palace where they lived until Psyche tragically died. While Cupid held her dead body in his arms and wept, Aphrodite was filled with joy.
Psyche was a beautiful young maiden that everybody loved. Aphrodite was jealous because everyone thought that Psyche was prettier than she was. Aphrodite, being the goddess that she was, decided to do something about it. So she "hired" the god of love to do this job (that would be Cupid). Psyche's sisters (who weren't very beautiful) got married, but no one ever wanted to marry Psyche; they just admired her beauty, but nobody ever really loved her. Her sisters were married to wonderful kings, lived in wonderful palaces, and lived wonderful lives. Psyche was jealous of her sisters because of her sisters' happiness when she was so lonely and sad.
Her parents were worried about her not having a husband, so they went to Apollo's Oracle and asked the Oracle what they should do so that she could get married.
The Oracle told them to take her to a hill where she would sit by herself until an evil winged serpent would come and marry her off. Her parents, thinking that any marriage is a good marriage, made her do this. So as planned she went and sat up the indicated hill. After a few days a strong breeze carried her off. When the wind set her down, she had come to a palace of grandeur and beauty. This palace made her sisters' palaces look like old moldy city dumps. Psyche went inside the palace, even though she knew that there was a monster inside. Every night when she went to sleep, she would hear the monster talking to her and comforting her. Her sisters were curious to see her new home and her new husband. And Psyche was eager to show off her beautiful palace. So she invited them to come and visit her. But before doing this she asked her husband if this was all right. He said that he would let her do as she pleased, but told her that her sisters would soon betray her. She was appalled that he thought this but loved him nonetheless. When her sisters arrived they were astounded at the grandeur of their little sister's life. The didn't want her to be happy and to have all of these wonderful things. But they did want it for themselves. They knew that their little sister loved them and would believe anything they told her. They used this factor to their advantage. Psyche's sisters asked her what her husband looked like. When she admitted that she didn't know, they persuaded her to check by telling her that any man that truly loved her would not mind revealing himself. She heard only common sense in this reply and decided to go through with her sisters' plot. That night she lit a candle and walked over to where the voice she heard at night usually came from. There on the bed she saw, not a monster, but a man. And not just any man a God. The God's name was cupid. In her shock, she forgot all about the burning candle in her hand. A little piece of wax dripped down onto the sleeping man's arm. He woke and seeing the situation immediately fled leaving behind a sad girl and the words, "Why did you not trust me?". Psyche was devastated. For she had been married to the Love God himself. She immediately left the palace in search of him, but no matter where she wandered she couldn't find him. Cupid on the other hand had arrived back in Mount Olympus. Aphrodite was furious when she found out what had happened. She blamed him for being shot with one of his own arrows, which made you fall in love. She saw Psyche wandering around on earth. She saw the lonely girls sadness, and became filled with joy. Psyche didn't get any mercy from Aphrodite than from her own sisters. Cupid was heart-broken. But did not want to think of Psyche all alone out searching for him. He tried to keep his mind on other issues. Those other issues included: Psyche, Psyche Psyche, and Psyche. Eventually he realized that he had to have her back to survive. He went down to earth and revealed himself to her. After she apologized, they went back to the palace where they lived until Psyche tragically died. While Cupid held her dead body in his arms and wept, Aphrodite was filled with joy.
