Circe is driven to distraction by her loneliness, but a nymph named Alke is sent to serve Circe as a punishment. Alke is the nymph daughter of a lesser river god, and serving a daughter of Helios is desirable to her. Instead of understanding Circe’s power and generosity toward her, Alke behaves like a spoiled child. Circe realizes Alke will never understand and decides she is done trying to teach. She tells Alke that she will serve unseen and unheard or be transformed into a worm and thrown into the ocean. Unfortunately, word spreads that Aiaia is a good place to send unruly daughters for punishment. Circe hates it and asks Hermes to get them to stop, but he refuses. She sends him away, and he goes because she now bores him. Her lioness dies, and Circe’s magic cannot resurrect her. Circe is jealous of humans’ ability to live on in the underworld.

When men arrive on the island, she is excited at the prospect of visitors. The fact that they are mortal is all the better, as she believes that mortal fragility results in kindness, a value of friendship. Warmth runs through her, and her fingers “itched as if for needle and thread.