  {We show that the free energy of the three-state
  $\tau_2(t_q)$ model can be expressed as products of Jacobi elliptic
functions, the arguments being those of an hyperelliptic parametrization of the
associated chiral Potts model. This is the first application of such a
parametrization to the $N$-state chiral
  Potts free energy problem for $N > 2$.
