One bright morning, Hermes, the speedy messenger god with wings on his sandals, had a little free time and a big curiosity. He decided to visit a town on Earth to see what humans were up to. He zipped down from Mount Olympus and strolled into a sculptor's workshop. The shop was filled with amazing statues of gods and goddesses.

Hermes saw a magnificent statue of Zeus, king of all the gods, looking very powerful with a thunderbolt in his hand.
"Excuse me, good sculptor," Hermes said, trying to sound like a regular customer. "How much would this wonderful statue of Zeus cost?"
The sculptor, busy chipping at a piece of marble, looked up. "Ah, the mighty Zeus! He is very popular. That one will cost you ten big bags of silver."

Hermes nodded, impressed. Then he pointed to a beautiful statue of Hera, the queen of the gods. "And this lovely statue of Hera? How much for her?"
"Queen Hera," the sculptor said with a smile, "she is also highly valued. For her, it's eight big bags of silver."

Hermes' heart beat a little faster. He spotted a statue that looked exactly like himself – handsome, with winged sandals and a traveler's hat. He was sure his statue must be worth even more, being the clever and quick messenger of the gods!
Trying to act casual, he puffed out his chest a tiny bit and asked, "And what about this one? The statue of Hermes, the swift messenger? How much do you ask for him?"

The sculptor looked at the Hermes statue, then back at the customer. "Oh, that one?" he said, polishing a chisel. "Well, if you buy the statue of Zeus, and you also buy the statue of Hera, I'll give you that Hermes statue for free!"

Hermes' jaw dropped a little. Free? He, the swift messenger, just a freebie? He learned that day that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't the *most* important god in everyone's eyes. And that was okay! He still had his speedy sandals, and lots of important messages to deliver.

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