She walked from room to room, but could see no living being. […] She begged to be restored to that beloved being of whom she was now deprived. […] That is being turned to stone, or having “a heart of stone,” as the Bible says. […] Acteon being one day fatigued by the chase lay down to rest himself by a fountain, in the valley of Gargaphia. […] That was like Psyche’s sisters, and Cinderella’s, in the fairy tale, who disliked their sister for being amiable and pretty.

In fact, there was something so young and fair and tender about the maiden that if you could imagine anything so strange as the whole springtime, with all its loveliness, changed into a human being, you would have looked but an instant at Proserpine and said, “She is the Spring.” […] He dared not look down, even for an instant, for fear of being turned to stone. […] “Perhaps if I opened the gates for him he would love me; but I will not, for that would mean being a traitor, not only to my city, but to my own father.” […] During the journey Theseus tried to cheer his companions by hopeful words; but they had no hope, for they thought no human being could. overcome that monster, and besides, once in the labyrinth, no one could find the way back to the entrance. […] The players hurled their discs into the air, the object of the game being to see who could throw the quoits the farthest.