never a feather appeared! Every hair on me changed into a bristle; my
hands turned into hoofed forefeet; a tail grew out of my backbone; my
face lengthened; and I found, to my horror, that I had become an ass.

"Oh, ye gods," said Fotis, "I've taken the wrong box! But no great
harm's done, dear Lucius. I know the antidote. I'll get you some roses
to crunch, and you will be restored to your proper shape."

Fotis, however, dared not go at once into the garden, lest Pamphila
should suddenly return and find me. So she told me to go and wait in the
stable until daybreak, and then she would gather some roses for me. But
when I got into the stable I wished I had waited outside. My own horse
and an ass belonging to Milo conceived a strange dislike to me. They
fell upon me with great fury, and bit me and kicked me, and made such a
clamour that the groom came to see whatever was the matter. He found me
standing on my hind legs trying to reach the garland of roses which he
had placed on the shrine of the goddess Epona in the middle of the
stable.

"What a sacrilegious brute!" he cried, falling upon me savagely.
"Attacking the shrine of the divinity who guards over horses! I'll lame
you, that I will!"

As he was belabouring me with a great cudgel, a band of fierce men armed
with swords and carrying lighted torches appeared. At the sight of them
the groom fled in terror.

"Help! Help! Robbers!" I heard Milo and Fotis cry.

But before the groom was able to fetch the watch, the robbers forced