No one dared go near the hideous creature until one day, the archer
Apollo, the sun-god, came with his glittering arrows, and slew it,
after a fierce battle. The people were then very happy. They made a
great hero of Apollo, and he left the country feeling very proud of
himself.
As he was going along, whom should he meet but the little god Cupid,
armed with his bow and arrows. Cupid was the young god of love,
sometimes called the god of the bow, and there are many stories about
how wonderful his arrows were.
Some of Cupid's arrows were sharp-pointed and made of shining gold,
and whoever was pierced by one of these felt love very deeply, at
once. But his other arrows were blunt and made of dull lead and,
strange as it may seem, made the people whom they struck hate each
other.
When Apollo met Cupid thus armed, he began to taunt him.
"What have you to do with the arrow?" he said in a boastful tone.
"That is my weapon. I have just proved it by slaying the terrible
monster. Come, Cupid, give up the bow which rightfully belongs to me."
Now, Cupid was a very quick tempered little god, and he cried in a
passion, "Though your arrow may pierce all other things, my arrow can
wound you." Then he flew off in a very bad humor, and tried to think
of some way in which he could make Apollo feel which of them was a
better marksman.
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