This is how the dolphin came to be placed among the stars. When Poseidon wished to make Amphitrite his wife,
     she, out of modesty, fled to Mount Atlas, eager to preserve her virginity. Most of the Nereids followed her into
     hiding. Poseidon sent out many searchers to find her, among them the dolphin. While wandering about the islands
     of Atlas, the dolphin discovered Amphitrite, whereupon it announced her discovery and brought her to Poseidon,
     who married her and decreed the highest honors of the sea for the dolphin. He declared the dolphin sacred and
     placed an image of it among the stars. Those who wish to please Poseidon, represent him holding the dolphin in his
     hand, and thus render to the dolphin the highest possible honor for the service it provided. Artemidorus tells the
     story in his elegies on Eros.

     The Dolphin has one star on the mouth; two on the dorsal fin; three on the ventral fins; one on the back; two on the
     tail. The total is nine. Because the number of stars [in Delphinus] corresponds to the number of Muses, this animal
     is said to be fond of music.
 
 

     Poetic Astronomy

     The reason why the dolphin was placed among the stars is recounted by Eratosthenes and others: when Neptune
     wished to take Amphitrite as his wife, she preferred to maintain her virginity and hid near Mount Atlas. Many were
     sent to find her, among them a certain Delphinus, who, wandering about the islands, finally came upon the maiden
     and persuaded her to marry Neptune; Delphinus himself conducted the marriage ceremony. For this reason
     Neptune placed the image of a dolphin among the stars. Furthermore, we see that those who make images of
     Neptune represent him with a dolphin either in his hand or under his foot, because they judge the dolphin to be
     pleasing to Neptune.

     However, Aglaosthenes, who wrote the Naxica, says there were some Tyrrhenian shipmasters who were to take
     the child Liber, along with some companions of his, to Naxos, and there to give him over to his nymph nurses.
     Both our writers, in books about the origins of the gods, and also many Greek writers, say that Liber was raised
     by these nymphs. But, to return to our story, the shipmasters, driven by the hope of ransom, sought to divert the
     ship. Suspecting this, Liber ordered his companions to sing all together. Hearing this unheard of sound, the
     Tyrrhenians were so delighted with it that they even began to dance about and, in their delight, unwittingly hurled
     themselves into the sea, where they were changed into dolphins. Liber, because he wished to provide a reminder
     of them among the human race, placed the image of one of them among the stars.

     Others, however, say this is the dolphin that carried Arion the citharode from the Sicilian Sea to Taenarum. Arion
     was preeminent in his art and earned his living by touring the islands. His young slaves, judging that there was
     greater advantage in freedom gained by treachery than in peaceful servitude, considered that if they threw their
     master overboard, they could divide his belongings among them. Arion, when he perceived their plot, requested,
     not as master from slaves or as an innocent victim from wicked men, but as a parent from his sons, that he be
     permitted to put on the robe he had often worn in victory, since there was no one other than himself who could
     mark his misfortune with a lament. When he obtained his request, he took up his cithara, and began to lament his
     own death. Drawn by the sound, dolphins from all parts of the sea swam up to hear the singing of Arion. Invoking
     the power of the immortal gods, Arion threw himself upon the dolphins, and one of them took him on its back and
     carried him to the shore of Taenarum. Because of this, the statue of Arion which was set up there as a memorial
     has the image of a dolphin affixed to it, and thus the dolphin was depicted among the stars by ancient                 astronomers.
     The slaves, who thought they had escaped from servitude, were driven by a storm to Taenarum, where they were
     apprehended by their master, who inflicted no small punishment upon them.

     The figure has one star on the head; two stars above the head on the neck; three stars appear like wings on the
     belly; one on the back; two on the tail. The total number of stars is nine.
 
 
 

    THE TRIAL OF PSYCHE

Over mountains and valleys Psyche journeyed alone until she came to the city where her two envious sisters lived with the princes whom they had married. She stayed with them only long enough to tell the story of her unbelief and its penalty. Then she set out again to search for Love.

As she wandered one day, travel-worn but not hopeless, she saw a lofty palace on a hill near by, and she turned her steps thither. The place seemed deserted. Within the hall she saw no human being, -- only heaps of grain, loose ears of corn half torn from the husk, wheat and barley, alike scattered in confusion on the floor. Without delay, she set to work binding the sheaves together and gathering the scattered ears of corn in seemly wise, as a princess would wish to see them. While she was in the midst of her task, a voice startled her, and she looked up to behold Demeter herself,
the goddess of the harvest, smiling upon her with good will.

"Dear Psyche," said Demeter, "you are worthy of happiness, and you may find it yet. But since you have displeased Venus, go to her and ask her favor. Perhaps your patience will win her pardon."

These motherly words gave Psyche heart, and she reverently took leave of the goddess and set out for the temple of Venus. Most humbly she offered up her prayer, but Venus could not look at her earthly beauty without anger.

"Vain girl," said she, "perhaps you have come to make amends for the wound you dealt your husband; you shall do so. Such clever people can always find work!"

Then she led Psyche into a great chamber heaped high with mingled grain, beans, and lentils [the food of her doves], and bade her separate them all and have them ready in seemly fashion by night. Heracles would have been helpless before such a
vexatious task; and poor Psyche, left alone in this desert of grain, had not courage to begin. But even as she sat there, a moving thread of black crawled across the floor from a crevice in the wall; and bending nearer, she saw that a great army of ants in columns had come to her aid. The zealous little creatures worked in swarms, with such industry over the work they like best, that, when Venus came at night, she found the task completed.

"Deceitful girl," she cried, shaking the roses out of her hair with impatience, "this is my son's work, not yours. But he will soon forget you. Eat this black bread if you are hungry, and refresh your dull mind with sleep. To-morrow you will need
more wit."

Psyche wondered what new misfortune could be in store for her. But when morning came, Venus led her to the brink of a river, and, pointing to the wood across the water, said: "Go now to yonder grove where the sheep with the golden fleece are wont to browse. Bring me a golden lock from every one of them, or you must go your ways and never come back again."

This seemed not difficult, and Psyche obediently bade the goddess farewell, and stepped into the water, ready to wade across. But as Venus disappeared, the reeds sang louder and the nymphs of the river, looking up sweetly, blew bubbles to the
surface and murmured: "Nay, nay, have a care, Psyche. This flock has not the gentle ways of sheep. While the sun burns aloft, they are themselves as fierce as flame; but when the shadows are long, they go to rest and sleep, under the trees; and you may cross the river without fear and pick the golden fleece off the briers in the pasture."

Thanking the water-creatures, Psyche sat down to rest near them, and when the time came, she crossed in safety and followed their counsel. By twilight she returned to Venus with her arms full of shining fleece.

"No mortal wit did this," said Venus angrily. "But if you care to prove your readiness, go now, with this little box, down to Proserpina and ask her to enclose in it some of her beauty, for I have grown pale in caring for my wounded son."

It needed not the last taunt to sadden Psyche. She knew that it was not for mortals to go into Hades and return alive; and feeling that Love had forsaken her, she was minded to accept her doom as soon as might be.

But even as she hastened towards the descent, another friendly voice detained her. "Stay, Psyche, I know your grief. Only give ear and you shall learn a safe way through all these trials." And the voice went on to tell her how one might avoid all the dangers of Hades and come out unscathed. [But such a secret could not pass from mouth to mouth, with the rest of the story.]

"And be sure," added the voice, "when Proserpina has returned the box, not to open it, ever much you may long to do so."

Psyche gave heed, and by this device, whatever it was, she found her way into Hades safely, and made her errand known to Proserpina, and was soon in the upper world again, wearied but hopeful.

"Surely Love has not forgotten me," she said. "But humbled as I am and worn with toil, how shall I ever please him? Venus can never need all the beauty in this casket; and since I use it for Love's sake, it must be right to take some." So saying, she opened the box, heedless as Pandora! The spells and potions of Hades are not for mortal maids, and no sooner had she inhaled the strange aroma than she fell down like one dead, quite overcome.

But it happened that Love himself was recovered from his wound, and he had secretly fled from his chamber to seek out and rescue Psyche. He found her lying by the wayside; he gathered into the casket what remained of the philter, and awoke his beloved.

"Take comfort," he said, smiling. "Return to our mother and do her bidding till I come again."

Away he flew; and while Psyche went cheerily homeward, he hastened up to Olympus, where all the gods sat feasting, and begged them to intercede for
him with his angry mother.

They heard his story and their hearts were touched. Zeus himself coaxed Venus with kind words till at last she relented, and remembered that anger hurt her beauty, and smiled once more. All the younger gods were for welcoming Psyche at once, and Hermes was sent to bring her hither. The maiden came, a shy newcomer among those bright creatures. She took the cup that Hebe held out to her, drank the divine ambrosia, and became immortal.