ot,
the sparrows sped onward, and other birds sweet of song, making known
by their soft notes the approach of the goddess. Eagle and cruel hawk
alarmed not the quireful family of Venus. And the clouds broke away,
as the uttermost ether opened to receive her, daughter and goddess,
with great joy.

And Venus passed straightway to the house of Jupiter to beg from him
the service of Mercury, the god of speech. And Jupiter refused not her
prayer. And Venus and Mercury descended from heaven together; and as
they went, the former said to the latter, "Thou knowest, my brother of
Arcady, that never at any time have I done anything without thy help;
for how long time, moreover, I have sought a certain maiden in vain.
And now naught remains but that, by thy heraldry, I proclaim a reward
for whomsoever shall find her. Do thou my bidding quickly." And
therewith [83] she conveyed to him a little scrip, in the which was
written the name of Psyche, with other things; and so returned home.

And Mercury failed not in his office; but departing into all lands,
proclaimed that whosoever delivered up to Venus the fugitive girl,
should receive from herself seven kisses--one thereof full of the
inmost honey of her throat. With that the doubt of Psyche was ended.
And now, as she came near to the doors of Venus, one of the household,
whose name was Use-and-Wont, ran out to her, crying, "Hast thou
learned, Wicked Maid! now at last! that thou hast a mistress?" And
seizing her roughly by the hair, drew her into the presence of Venus.
And when Venus saw her, she cried out, saying, "Thou hast deigned then
to make thy salutations to thy mother-in-law. Now will I in turn treat
thee as becometh a dutiful daughter-in-law!"

And she took barley and millet and poppy-seed, every kind of grain and
seed, and mixed them together, and laughed, and said to her: "Methinks
so plain a maiden can earn lovers only by industrious ministry: now
will I also make trial of thy service. Sort me this heap of seed, the
one kind from the others, grain by grain; and get thy task done before
the evening." And Psyche, stunned by the cruelty of her bidding, was
silent, and moved not her hand to the inextricable heap. And there
came [84] forth a little ant, which had understanding of the difficulty
of her task, and took pity upon the consort of the god of Love; and he
ran deftly hither and thither, and called together the whole army of
his fellows. "Have pity," he cr