“She has gone after that handsome young gentleman,” said Fotis.  “I have to wait here all night until she returns, and then give her a lotion of aniseed and laurel-leaves to restore her to her proper shape.”

“Why, my dear Fotis,” I exclaimed, in intense admiration, “you know as much about witchcraft as your mistress!  Come, practise on me!  Get me some of that ointment and change me into a bird.  Oh, how I should like to fly!”

After some hesitation she entered the room, and took a box out of the casket.  I stripped myself and smeared the ointment over my body.  But never a feather appeared!  Every hair on me changed into a bristle; my hands turned into hoofed forefeet; a tail grew out of my backbone; my face lengthened; and I found, to my horror, that I had become an ass.

“Oh, ye gods,” said Fotis, “I’ve taken the wrong box!  But no great harm’s done, dear Lucius.  I know the antidote.  I’ll get you some roses to crunch, and you will be restored to your proper shape.”

Fotis, however, dared not go at once into the garden, lest Pamphila should suddenly return and find me.  So she told me to go and wait in the stable until daybreak, and then she would gather some roses for me.  But when I got into the stable I wished I had waited outside.  My own horse and an ass belonging to Milo conceived a strange dislike to me.  They fell upon me with great fury, and bit me and kicked me, and made such a clamour that the groom came to see whatever was the matter.  He found me standing on my hind legs trying to reach the garland of roses which he had placed on the shrine of the goddess Epona in the middle of the stable.

“What a sacrilegious brute!” he cried, falling upon me savagely.  “Attacking the shrine of the divinity who guards over horses!  I’ll lame you, that I will!”

As he was belabouring me with a great cudgel, a band of fierce men armed with swords and carrying lighted torches appeared.  At the sight of them the groom fled in terror.

“Help!  Help!  Robbers!” I heard Milo and Fotis cry.

But before the groom was able to fetch the watch, the robbers forced their way into the house, and broke open Milo’s strongbox.  Then they loaded me and the horse and the ass with the stolen wealth, and drove us out into the mountains.  Unused to the heavy burden laid on me, I went rather slowly.  This enraged the robbers, and they beat me until I was well-nigh dead.  But at last I saw a sight which filled me with the wildest joy.  We passed a noble country house, surrounded by a garden of sweet-smelling roses.  I rushed open-mouthed upon the flowers.  But just as I strained my curling lips towards them, I stopped.  If I changed myself into a man the robbers would kill me, either as a wizard, or out of fear that I would inform against them!  So I left the roses untouched, and in the evening we came to the cave in the mountains where the robbers dwelt, and there, to my delight, I was relieved of my grievous load.