The story of Cupid and Psyche

Rumpelstiltskin might show up.)

The ants get the job done and disappear underground.

Venus returns and tells Psyche that it doesn't count, because Psyche couldn't have done it by herself.

The next day the goddess of love gives her daughter-in-law another task. Psyche must collect golden fleece from the back of every sheep in a herd that hangs out by a river.

As she's about to cross the river, though, a river god warns Psyche that, if she tries it when the sun is rising, the human-hating rams will kill her.

The helpful river god advises her to wait until the noontime sun makes the herd go chill out in the shade; then the rams won't mess with her.

Psyche follows the river god's advice and safely collects the wool.

Venus is still not satisfied, though, saying again that Psyche didn't do it on her own.

Next, the love goddess orders Psyche to go down to the world of the dead and see Proserpine (a.k.a. Persephone), the queen of the underworld and wife of Pluto (a.k.a. Hades). Venus says she wants Psyche to bring a little bit of Proserpine's beauty back in a box.

Psyche bravely heads off to find the underworld, but she's really upset this time – going to the land of the dead is beyond dangerous.

How is Psyche supposed to get to the underworld? Is she supposed to kill herself? She seems to think so.

Thankfully, before Psyche jumps off a cliff, she hears a voice (Cupid) that tells her how to pull it off. The voice tells her where there's a cave that leads down to the underworld, how to convince Charon (the ferryman) to take her there and back, and how to avoid Cerberus, the vicious three-headed dog who guards the underworld.

Psyche makes it to Pluto and Proserpine's palace in the land of the dead and tells Proserpine that Venus wants to borrow a little beauty.

A box is given to Psyche, and she's on her way.

The voice warns Psyche not to open the box, no matter what she does, but Psyche's just so curious and can't help herself. The girl opens the box, thinking that, if she had a little of the beauty herself, then she'd truly be worthy of Cupid.

Unfortunately, there's no beauty in the box at all, and when Psyche takes off the lid, she's plunged into a deep sleep, collapsing in the middle of the road.

Cupid, who has finally recovered from his burn, flies to help his wife. He wakes her up with one of his arrows, and he points out that once again her curiosity has gotten her in trouble.

Cupid tells her to take the box to Venus and to let him take care of the rest.

He flies to Jupiter (a.k.a. Zeus), and he begs the king of the gods to help him and Psyche.

Jupiter summons Venus and convinces her to chill out about the whole thing.

Then he brings Psyche up to Mt. Olympus, the home of the gods, and gives her some ambrosia, which makes the girl immortal.

At long last, Cupid and Psyche get to be together.