does your husband do?" Calla wanted to know. "He must be a very important person to have a palace like this and riches unlike any we've ever seen. What did you say his name was?"
"I didn't say," Psyche answered, a little flustered.
"Where is he? We would love to meet him," Thomasina put in.
"He ... he ... yes, he went hunting. That's what he spends all his time doing. I seldom see him myself." She gave a smile. "Oh, dear. Look. It is growing dark. How fast the time went by. Come. Would you like to take some jewels with you?"
Thomasina and Calla started drooling at the mouth. Psyche got up from the table, and her sisters followed as she led them down the corridor into a room where the table was piled high with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and jewels no one had gotten around to giving names to. Thomasina and Calla filled their pockets, then stuffed their bras with so many jewels, they could hardly move.
Psyche hurried them out of the house, nervous that they might ask her more questions about her husband. When outside, Psyche called for West Wind, who was resting atop a tree.
"Take them back to where you found them, friend Wind."
As Favonius lifted Thomasina and Calla into the air, he thought they were heavier than when he had brought them. He understood as he listened to them talk.
"It's not fair!" Thomasina declared.
"You can say that again!" exclaimed Calla. "Invisible servants who wait on her hand and foot."
"Plates and goblets of gold! Room after room filled with jewels and fine garments."
"Why is she the one who always gets everything?"
"Father loved her more than he did us. And now, she has what must be the wealthiest man in the world for a husband."
"It's not right!"
"No, it isn't!"
Not only the jewels, but jealousy and malice, had made the two sisters so heavy that Favonius was tired and out of breath when he deposited them back on the mountaintop. Even though he was supposed to do whatever Cupid or Psyche wanted him to, he didn't know how many more trips he could make with those two. If they kept feeding each other's malice, they would end up as heavy as the mountain.
Thomasina and Calla were eager to get back to their parents' palace and look at the jewels they had acquired. However, if they returned with expressions of sated lust, everyone would be suspicious. So the two sisters tore each other's clothes and scratched their faces to make it appear that they were grieving for their "dead sister." They agreed not to tell their parents that Psyche was alive, for if they knew how well her marriage had turned out, they would love her even more.
When Thomasina and Calla reached the palace, they didn't have to say anything. Their disheveled appearance was enough to confirm the king's and queen's worst fears. Psyche was indeed dead! As their parents began weeping anew, the two sisters went up to their chambers and unburdened themselves of all the jewels they had taken, then hid them behind loose bricks in the fireplace. Then they began plotting: how could they kill Psyche and get her husband? Or at least his wealth.
Cupid Warns Psyche Again
Cupid was afraid. Psyche was naive and had seen nothing of the sisters' animosity toward her. He had to find a way to convince her not to listen to them, not even to see them. If he didn't, Psyche would unwittingly destroy their relationship, and he did not know what he would do without her.
That night, in the darkness of the bedchamber, he told her again, "My love, you are in great danger."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Thomasina and Calla want to destroy you."
"Me?" she laughed nervously. "They are my sisters. They would not do anything to hurt me."
"Please listen to me. They are going to try to persuade you to look at my face. You must not. Indeed, if they try to visit you again, please do not let them come here."
"That would hurt their feelings. Please don't ask that of me."
"Very well. But you must not answer any of their questions about me. Do you
"I didn't say," Psyche answered, a little flustered.
"Where is he? We would love to meet him," Thomasina put in.
"He ... he ... yes, he went hunting. That's what he spends all his time doing. I seldom see him myself." She gave a smile. "Oh, dear. Look. It is growing dark. How fast the time went by. Come. Would you like to take some jewels with you?"
Thomasina and Calla started drooling at the mouth. Psyche got up from the table, and her sisters followed as she led them down the corridor into a room where the table was piled high with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and jewels no one had gotten around to giving names to. Thomasina and Calla filled their pockets, then stuffed their bras with so many jewels, they could hardly move.
Psyche hurried them out of the house, nervous that they might ask her more questions about her husband. When outside, Psyche called for West Wind, who was resting atop a tree.
"Take them back to where you found them, friend Wind."
As Favonius lifted Thomasina and Calla into the air, he thought they were heavier than when he had brought them. He understood as he listened to them talk.
"It's not fair!" Thomasina declared.
"You can say that again!" exclaimed Calla. "Invisible servants who wait on her hand and foot."
"Plates and goblets of gold! Room after room filled with jewels and fine garments."
"Why is she the one who always gets everything?"
"Father loved her more than he did us. And now, she has what must be the wealthiest man in the world for a husband."
"It's not right!"
"No, it isn't!"
Not only the jewels, but jealousy and malice, had made the two sisters so heavy that Favonius was tired and out of breath when he deposited them back on the mountaintop. Even though he was supposed to do whatever Cupid or Psyche wanted him to, he didn't know how many more trips he could make with those two. If they kept feeding each other's malice, they would end up as heavy as the mountain.
Thomasina and Calla were eager to get back to their parents' palace and look at the jewels they had acquired. However, if they returned with expressions of sated lust, everyone would be suspicious. So the two sisters tore each other's clothes and scratched their faces to make it appear that they were grieving for their "dead sister." They agreed not to tell their parents that Psyche was alive, for if they knew how well her marriage had turned out, they would love her even more.
When Thomasina and Calla reached the palace, they didn't have to say anything. Their disheveled appearance was enough to confirm the king's and queen's worst fears. Psyche was indeed dead! As their parents began weeping anew, the two sisters went up to their chambers and unburdened themselves of all the jewels they had taken, then hid them behind loose bricks in the fireplace. Then they began plotting: how could they kill Psyche and get her husband? Or at least his wealth.
Cupid Warns Psyche Again
Cupid was afraid. Psyche was naive and had seen nothing of the sisters' animosity toward her. He had to find a way to convince her not to listen to them, not even to see them. If he didn't, Psyche would unwittingly destroy their relationship, and he did not know what he would do without her.
That night, in the darkness of the bedchamber, he told her again, "My love, you are in great danger."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Thomasina and Calla want to destroy you."
"Me?" she laughed nervously. "They are my sisters. They would not do anything to hurt me."
"Please listen to me. They are going to try to persuade you to look at my face. You must not. Indeed, if they try to visit you again, please do not let them come here."
"That would hurt their feelings. Please don't ask that of me."
"Very well. But you must not answer any of their questions about me. Do you
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