trees.
"Greetings, Favonius."
Favonius's eyes opened wide as he recognized Cupid. "Greetings, god. To what do I owe the honor of a visit from one such as you?"
"I have a favor to ask."
"Not you, too," Favonius replied.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm about to take a nap because I'm tired out from doing a favor for Brother Sun. He had me and my three siblings busy this morning."
"Doing what?"
"Blowing every cloud in the world over the Kingdom-by-the-Great-Blue-Sea."
"Ah! That explains it. When I went to the cave of Aeolus, looking for you, I wondered why your siblings were lying on the floor panting for breath. What did Sun want with so many clouds?"
"They are blocking his view so he doesn't have to see Psyche get married to a monster."
Cupid smiled to himself. "Is that so? Well, I hope you aren't too tired that you can't carry out my request."
"What is it you want me to do?"
After Cupid told him, Favonius smiled. "That will be a pleasure! A pleasure, indeed!"
"Thank you," Cupid responded. "Now I must go and make preparations."
Psyche scarcely noticed as her servants bathed her and rubbed her body with oils so she would smell like a field of flowers for her husband. Her servants brushed her long hair until it glowed like deepest night. Finally, they dressed her in a long white gown. Then they left, tears in their eyes, suppressed sobs in their throats.
"Your tears are too late," Psyche said quietly. "You should have cried when the people were calling me the new
Venus. You should have cried when they abandoned the goddess's temples to look upon me. My marriage to a monster is the goddess punishing me. But if this is my fate, I will try to meet it as bravely as I can."
On Olympus, Venus was growing angry. She had been waiting and waiting for Cupid to return and tell her that she no longer had to be concerned about Psyche. But she had not seen him, and nobody knew where he was. Venus remembered Cupid's smile when he came back from where she'd sent him to make Psyche's existence a horror. How could she have been so obtuse as not to have realized what that smile was about? But no. It was unthinkable that her son would have betrayed her and fallen in love with the mortal she hated more than anyone. However, if he had, it was only because Psyche had cast a spell on him.
If only she could see Earth, she might find out where Psyche was and what she was doing. But the clouds over the Kingdom-by-the-Great-Blue-Sea were as thick as illness and prevented her from seeing anything. As if that were not bad enough, someone had been crying most of the day. No one ever cried on Olympus, but the sound was unmistakable.
Everything combined had put Venus in as bad a mood as she had ever been in. Someone was going to suffer, and since she could not find Psyche, she could at least find whoever was doing all that crying.
Venus followed the sound of the weeping to the backside of Olympus. There she saw Brother Sun sitting, his legs
hanging over the side, his head bowed. He was crying so hard, his tears were putting out his light. If he kept crying, he would drown his light, and gods and mortals would be left with nothing but moonlight, starshine, and nightglow.
"Brother Sun? What is your problem?" Venus asked, none too politely.
"Psyche is leaving us, to marry a monster."
Venus's face broke into the first smile she'd had all day. "Is that so?" she asked, making no attempt to hide the pleasure in her voice.
"I don't think I'll ever shine again," Sun went on.
Venus kicked Sun in his rear. "You best get on your way. And stop all that crying! If you're not careful, you
will
put your light out, and we'll really be in a mess then. Go do your job!"
Reluctantly, Brother Sun resumed his arduous climb to the top of the sky.
Venus was pleased to learn that this was Psyche's wedding day, but she wanted to see the ceremony for herself. She had to do something about all the clouds blocking her view of Earth.
She sent for Aeolus. Several hours
"Greetings, Favonius."
Favonius's eyes opened wide as he recognized Cupid. "Greetings, god. To what do I owe the honor of a visit from one such as you?"
"I have a favor to ask."
"Not you, too," Favonius replied.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm about to take a nap because I'm tired out from doing a favor for Brother Sun. He had me and my three siblings busy this morning."
"Doing what?"
"Blowing every cloud in the world over the Kingdom-by-the-Great-Blue-Sea."
"Ah! That explains it. When I went to the cave of Aeolus, looking for you, I wondered why your siblings were lying on the floor panting for breath. What did Sun want with so many clouds?"
"They are blocking his view so he doesn't have to see Psyche get married to a monster."
Cupid smiled to himself. "Is that so? Well, I hope you aren't too tired that you can't carry out my request."
"What is it you want me to do?"
After Cupid told him, Favonius smiled. "That will be a pleasure! A pleasure, indeed!"
"Thank you," Cupid responded. "Now I must go and make preparations."
Psyche scarcely noticed as her servants bathed her and rubbed her body with oils so she would smell like a field of flowers for her husband. Her servants brushed her long hair until it glowed like deepest night. Finally, they dressed her in a long white gown. Then they left, tears in their eyes, suppressed sobs in their throats.
"Your tears are too late," Psyche said quietly. "You should have cried when the people were calling me the new
Venus. You should have cried when they abandoned the goddess's temples to look upon me. My marriage to a monster is the goddess punishing me. But if this is my fate, I will try to meet it as bravely as I can."
On Olympus, Venus was growing angry. She had been waiting and waiting for Cupid to return and tell her that she no longer had to be concerned about Psyche. But she had not seen him, and nobody knew where he was. Venus remembered Cupid's smile when he came back from where she'd sent him to make Psyche's existence a horror. How could she have been so obtuse as not to have realized what that smile was about? But no. It was unthinkable that her son would have betrayed her and fallen in love with the mortal she hated more than anyone. However, if he had, it was only because Psyche had cast a spell on him.
If only she could see Earth, she might find out where Psyche was and what she was doing. But the clouds over the Kingdom-by-the-Great-Blue-Sea were as thick as illness and prevented her from seeing anything. As if that were not bad enough, someone had been crying most of the day. No one ever cried on Olympus, but the sound was unmistakable.
Everything combined had put Venus in as bad a mood as she had ever been in. Someone was going to suffer, and since she could not find Psyche, she could at least find whoever was doing all that crying.
Venus followed the sound of the weeping to the backside of Olympus. There she saw Brother Sun sitting, his legs
hanging over the side, his head bowed. He was crying so hard, his tears were putting out his light. If he kept crying, he would drown his light, and gods and mortals would be left with nothing but moonlight, starshine, and nightglow.
"Brother Sun? What is your problem?" Venus asked, none too politely.
"Psyche is leaving us, to marry a monster."
Venus's face broke into the first smile she'd had all day. "Is that so?" she asked, making no attempt to hide the pleasure in her voice.
"I don't think I'll ever shine again," Sun went on.
Venus kicked Sun in his rear. "You best get on your way. And stop all that crying! If you're not careful, you
will
put your light out, and we'll really be in a mess then. Go do your job!"
Reluctantly, Brother Sun resumed his arduous climb to the top of the sky.
Venus was pleased to learn that this was Psyche's wedding day, but she wanted to see the ceremony for herself. She had to do something about all the clouds blocking her view of Earth.
She sent for Aeolus. Several hours
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