'And when thy road the Stygian river joins, Where woolly Charon ferries o'er the dead, He will demand his fare: one of thy coins Force with thy tongue between thy teeth, thy head Offering instead of hand to give the doit. His fingers in this custom are adroit, And thine must not set down the barleybread. 21 'Then in his crazy bark as, ferrying o'er The stream, thou sittest, one that seems to float Rather than swim, midway 'twixt shore and shore, Will stretch his fleshless hand upon the boat, And beg thee of thy pity take him in. Shut thy soft ear unto his clamour thin, Nor for a phantom deed thyself devote. 22 'Next, on the further bank when thou art stept, Three wizen'd women weaving at the woof Will stop, and pray thee in their art adept To free their tangl'd threads. Hold thou aloof; For this and other traps thy foe hath plan'd To make thee drop the cakes out of thy hand, Putting thy prudence to perpetual proof. 23 'For by one cake thou comest into Hell, And by one cake departest; since the hound That guards the gate is ever pleasèd well To taste man's meal, or sweeten'd grain unground. Cast him a cake; for that thou may'st go free Even to the mansion of Persephonè, Withouten stay or peril, safe and sound. 24 'She will receive thee kindly; thou decline Her courtesies, and make the floor thy seat; Refusing what is offer'd, food or wine; Save only beg a crust of bread to eat. Then tell thy mission, and her present take; Which when thou hast, set forth with pyx and cake, One in each hand, while yet thou may'st retreat. 25 'Giving thy second cake to Cerberus, The coin to Charon, and that way whereby Thou camest following, thou comest thus To see again the starry choir on high. But guard thou well the pyx, nor once uplift The lid to look on Persephassa's gift; Else 'tis in vain I bid thee now not die.' 26 Then Psyche thank'd the tower, and stoopt her mouth To kiss the stones upon his rampart hoary; And coming down his stair went hasting south, Along the steep Tænarian promontory; And found the cave and temple by the cape, And took the cakes and coins, and made escape Beneath the earth, according to his story. 27 And overtook the ass, but lent no aid; And offer'd Charon with her teeth his fee; And pass'd the floating ghost, in vain who pray'd; And turned her back upon the weavers three; And threw the honey-cake to that hell-hound Three-headed Cerberus; and safe and sound, Came to the mansion of Persephonè. 28