Chapter IV
-You know – Alice added - your story is similar to another one that I heard when I was with my family in Syracuse, an ancient Greek colony in Sicily. It was about a nymph called Arethusa who had been chased by Alpheus because he was in love with her; at first she did not want to love him and, with the help of Artemis, she was transformed into a spring to escape…but in the end she accepted his love and Alpheus ,too, was transformed into a river to meet her -.
The nymph said:
- My goodness! Artemis can be helpful, but wherever I go, I know that Zeus will find me.
-Ok, I have got an idea! I will go to find Artemis and I will bring her here provided that, as soon as you become a spring, you will ride me home. Oh! I haven’t introduced myself yet, my name is Alice! she replied running away.
Alice went through a long journey to reach Artemis’ Royal Palace, but Zeus discovered their plan and closed Alice in an ice cage. Alice, overwhelmed by despair, did not know what to do and started to cry until she quite drowned in her tears.