Misme was another mortal who received Demeter in her house during the goddess’ search for her missing daughter. Misme lived in Attica and had a son called Ascalabus. Demeter was parched because it was a hot day, so Misme offered her a drink of water, barley groats, and pennyroyal (a potion that other traditions call kykeon and attribute to Demeter). The goddess swallowed the drink in one draught, but her eagerness apparently proved too funny for Ascalabus, who started laughing. Demeter, not all that famous for her coolness of manners, got really angry at the young man and poured the remains of her drink over him. This simple act of displeasure was enough to transform Ascalabus into a multi-coloured gecko, a creature hated by gods and mortals alike. Demeter’s indignation was never appeased. Ever since that fateful hot day, whoever killed an askalabos (as the gecko came to be known) could count on Demeter’s goodwill. Unfortunately, the myth fails to inform us about Misme’s reaction to these events.