Up to this time the vast Heaven has still ever remained separated from his spouse the Earth. Yet their mutual love still continues—the soft warm sighs of her loving bosom still ever rise up to him, ascending from the woody mountains and valleys, and men call these mists; and the vast Heaven, as he mourns through the long nights his separation from his beloved, drops frequent tears upon her bosom, and men seeing these, term them dewdrops. STORY OF DEMETER (_Greek: From the Hymn of Callimachus_) He sings how Demeter was the first to cut off wheat, straw, and handfuls of ears, and introduced oxen to tread out the corn. He tells also how she punishes those who are guilty of disrespect to her power. She made the son of Triopus pitiable by hunger. Not yet were the Pelasgians inhabiting the Cnidian land, but sacred Dotium; but to thyself had raised a beautiful enclosure, thickly grown with trees; scarce would an arrow have penetrated it. In it was the pine, in it tall elms, and pear-trees also, and beautiful, sweet apples, whilst the water, like as amber, was bursting forth from springs. Then the son of Triopus hastened forth with twenty servants, all in their prime, all giant men, having armed them in both respects with hatchets and axes, so they rushed without shame into the grove of Demeter. Now there was a poplar, a large tree reaching to heaven, and under it the nymphs were wont to disport themselves in the noontide, which, stricken first, sounded an evil melody for the rest. Demeter became aware that her sacred grove was in danger, and said in anger, “Who is hewing down my beautiful trees?” Forthwith she likened herself to Nicippe, whom the state had appointed as her public priestess, and she grasped in her hand the fillets and poppies and kept her key on her shoulders. Then said she, soothing the sad and shameless man: “My son who fellest the sacred trees which are consecrated to gods, stay, my son, child, much beloved by thy parents, forbear and turn away thy servants, lest anywise our Lady Demeter be wroth with thee; Demeter, whose holy precinct thou art pillaging.” At her then, looking askance more fiercely than a lioness with savage brood: “Give way, lest I fasten this great axe in thy flesh. These trees thou shalt behold my well-roofed house, wherein I shall ever and anon hold pleasant banquets to my heart’s content with my companions.” So spake the youth, and Nemesis recorded the wicked speech.