It's All Greek to Me!

Pygmalion and Galatea, by Jean-Leon Gerome, 1890.

Pygmalion was an ancient Greek sculptor, who scorned the imperfections of women, and therefore set about to create the perfect woman, through his skills in carving marble. He carved endlessly, never satisfied with his work. Finally, his perfect woman was created, and he fell hopelessly in love with her (it). Mad with longing, Pygmalion went to the temple of Aphrodite and prayed for a miracle- he wished his statue could love him back. When he returned to his studio, he embraced and kissed his sculpture, like usual, and was very surprised to notice that she was kissing him back! The cold marble had turned to warm flesh, and Pygmalion realized that Aphrodite had taken pity on him and granted his wish. Pygmalion and Galatea (the now living sculpture) lived happily ever after. The end.

Damn I should have started this story with “Once upon a time, in a far-away land…”