Cupid and Psyche (/ˈsaɪkiː/; also known as The Tale of Amour and Psyche and The Tale of Eros and Psyche), is a legend that first appeared as a digressionary story told by an old woman in Lucius Apuleius' novel, The Golden Ass, written in the 2nd century AD. Apuleius likely used an earlier tale as the basis for his story, modifying it to suit the thematic needs of his novel.
It has since been interpreted as a Märchen, an allegory and a myth. Considered as a fairy tale, it is either an allegory or a myth, but the folkloric tradition tends to blend these.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupid_and_Psyche
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Canova-Cupd_and_Psyche_300degree_view.jpgCupid and Psyche, by Antonio Canova, c. 1808, in the Hermitage, Saint Petersburg.
