Chapters 7, 8, and 9: Cupid and Psyche Summary

Chapter 7: In an attempt to comfort the girl, or at least distract her, the old woman in the bandit cave tells a story about a beautiful princess named Psyche. Psyche was one of three daughters, all renowned for their extraordinary beauty, but her beauty was so exceptional that it actually made people neglect their religious duties to Venus, a fact which did not sit well with the goddess. Despite Psyche's great beauty, she had a difficult time finding a husband, something her less beautiful older sisters had managed to do. Her beauty was simply too intimidating and while people could appreciate her like a beautiful sculpture, they could not dare imagine her being their own. Venus, therefore, decided to exact her jealous revenge by sending her son, Cupid (also known as Eros) to shoot Psyche...