goes down does their vice depart from them, and
while they sleep thou canst gather of their wool from the bushes and
from the trunks of the trees."

And again the heart of Psyche felt a thrill of happiness, because she
knew that she was loved and cared for still. All day she rested in the
wood by the river and dreamt pleasant day-dreams, and when the sun had
set she waded to the further shore and gathered the golden wool in the
way that the reeds had told her. When in the evening she came to the
goddess, bearing her shining load, the brow of Aphrodite grew dark.

"If thou art so skilled in magic that no danger is danger to thee, yet
another task shall I give thee that is worthy of thy skill," she said,
and laid upon Psyche her fresh commands.

Sick with dread, Psyche set out next morning to seek the black stream
out of which Aphrodite had commanded her to fill a ewer. Part of its
waters flowed into the Styx, part into the Cocytus, and well did
Psyche know that a hideous death from the loathly creatures that
protected the fountain must be the fate of those who risked so proud
an attempt. Yet because she knew that she must "dree her weird," as
Pan had said, she plodded onward, towards that dark mountain from
whose side gushed the black water that she sought. And then, once
again, there came to her a message of love. A whirring of wings she
heard, and

"O'er her head there flew the bird of Jove,
The bearer, of his servant, friend of Love,
Who, when he saw her, straightway towards her flew,
And asked her why she wept, and when he knew,
And who she was, he said, 'Cease all thy fear,
For to the black waves I thy ewer will bear,
And fill it for thee; but, remember me,
When thou art come unto thy majesty.'"

And, yet once again, the stricken heart of Psyche was gladdened, and
when at nightfall she came with her ewer full of water from the dread
stream and gave it to Aphrodite, although she knew that a yet more
arduous task was sure to follow, her fear had all passed away.

With beautiful, sullen eyes, Aphrodite received her when she brought
the water. And, with black brow, she said: "If thou art so skilled in
magic that no danger is known to thee, I shall now give thee a task
all worthy of thy skill."

Thereon she told her that she must seek that dark valley where no
silver nor golden light ever strikes on the black waters of Cocytus
and of the Styx; and where Pluto reigns in gloomy ma