Myths That Every Child Should Know

elf into a chest, and set them afloat upon the sea. The wind blew freshly, and drove the chest away from the shore, and the uneasy billows tosse

an island that it got entangled in a fisherman's nets, and was drawn out high and dry upon the sand. The isla

dectes had seen the two strangers-the mother and her child-who had come to his dominions in a floating chest. As he was not good and kind, like his brother the fisherman, but extremely wicked, he resolved to send Perseus on a dangerous enterprise, in which he would probably be killed, and then to do som

palace, and found the ki

n. You and your good mother have received a great deal of kindness from myself, as well as fr

ered Perseus, "I would willi

e so rare an opportunity of distinguishing yourself. You must know, my good Perseus, I think of getting married to the beautiful Princess Hippodamia; and it is customary, on these occasions, to make the bride a present of some far-fetch

ajesty in obtaining it?"

I have set my heart on presenting to the beautiful Hippodamia is the head of the Gorgon Medusa with the snaky locks; and I depend on you, my dear Perse

o-morrow morning,

be careful to make a clean stroke, so as not to injure its appearance. You must bring it home in t

aken to cut off the head of Medusa with the snaky locks. Everybody was rejoiced; for most of the inhabitants of the island were as wicked as the king himself, and would have liked nothing better than to see some enormous mischief happen to Dana? and h

"Medusa's snakes wil

ly a very frightful and mischievous species of dragon. It is, indeed, difficult to imagine what hideous beings these three sisters were. Why, instead of locks of hair, if you can believe me, they had each of them a hundred enormous snakes growing on their heads, all alive, twisting, wriggling, curling, and thrusting out their venomous tongues, with forked stings at the end! The teeth of the Gorg

ents that served the Gorgons instead of hair-or of having their heads bitten off by their ugly tusks-or of being torn all to pieces by their brazen claws. Well, to be sure, these were some of the dangers, but by no means the greatest, nor the most di

with the snaky locks. For, not to speak of other difficulties, there was one which it would have puzzled an older man than Perseus to get over. Not only must he fight with and slay this golden-winged, iron-scaled, long-tusked, brazen-clawed, snaky-haired monster, but he must do it with his eyes shut, or, at least, without so much as a glance at the enemy with whom he was

ad undertaken to do. He therefore took his shield, girded on his sword, and crossed over from the isl

sorrowful mood, he heard

the voice, "wh

very crooked sword hanging by his side. He was exceedingly light and active in his figure, like a person much accustomed to gymnastic exercises, and well able to leap or run. Above all, the stranger had such a cheerful, knowing, and helpful aspect (though it was certainly a little mischievous, into the bargain), that Perseus could not help feeling his spir

, "only thoughtful about an adv

through adventures that looked difficult enough beforehand. Perhaps you may have heard of me. I have more names than one; but the name

dy was, and, very possibly, his new friend might give him some advice that would turn out well in the end. So he let the stranger know, in few words, precisely what the case was,-how that King Polyde

some marble statue, it is true, and it would be a considerable number of centuries before you crumbled away

n standing in his eyes. "And, besides, what would my dea

ver, in an encouraging tone. "I am the very person to help you, if anybody can. My sister a

er?" repea

t me, such as they are. If you show yourself bold and cautious, and follow our advice, you need not fear being a stone imag

enough to show him the reflection of his face. However, concluding that Quicksilver knew better than himself, he immediately set to work, and scrubbed the shield with so much diligence and good-will, that it very quickly sh

, and will cut through iron and brass as easily as through the slenderest twig. And now we will s

nly a new difficulty in the path of his adventure; "pray who

e among them, and only one tooth. Moreover, you must find them out by starlight, or in the

th these Three Gray Women? Would it not be better t

ay to the Gorgons. There is nothing for it but to hunt up these old ladies; and when we meet

s nimble friend Quicksilver. To say the truth, he had a singular idea that Quicksilver was furnished with a pair of winged shoes, which, of course, helped him along marvellously. And then, too, when Perseus looked sideways at him out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to see wings on the side of his head; a

d Perseus found it to keep pace with him-"take you the staff, for you need it a great

, glancing slyly at his companion's feet

etting you a pair,"

d at their ease, talking very sociably together; and Quicksilver told so many pleasant stories about his former adventures, and how well his wits had served him on various occasions, that Perseus began to think him a very

had spoken of a sister, who was to lend her assista

inquired. "Shall we

f character from myself. She is very grave and prudent, seldom smiles, never laughs, and makes it a rule not to utter a

erseus; "I shall be afr

wise, that many people call her wisdom personified. But, to tell you the truth, she has hardly vivacity enough for my taste; and I think you would scarcely find h

d solitary that nobody seemed ever to have dwelt or journeyed there. All was waste and desolate, in the gray twilight, which grew every

the Three Gray Women. Be careful that they do not see you before you see them; for, though th

," asked Perseus, "

out of the socket and passed it to one of her sisters, whose turn it might happen to be, and who immediately clapped it into her own head, and enjoyed a peep at the visible world. Thus it will easily be understood that only one of the Three Gray Women could see, while the other two were in utter darkness; and, moreover

hat he almost fancied his companion was joking with h

ruth or no," observed Quicksilver. "Hark

g gray hair; and, as they came nearer, he saw that two of them had but the empty socket of an eye, in the middle of their foreheads. But, in the middle of the third sister's forehead, there was a very large, bright, and piercing eye, which sparkled like a great d

ead led the other two by the hands, peeping sharply about her, all the while; insomuch that Perseus dreaded lest she should see right through the thick

he clump of bushes, one of

ed she, "you have had the eye l

mare," answered Scarecrow. "I thought I had a

ush as easily as yourself? The eye is mine as well as yours; and I know the use of i

turn to have the eye, and that Scarecrow and Nightmare wanted to keep it all to themselves. To e

ing. For my part, I shall be glad of a little thick darkness. Tak

just as much in the dark as Shakejoint and Nightmare, could not at once meet either of their hands, in order to put the eye into it. Thus (as you will see, with half an eye, my wise little auditors), these good old dames had fallen int

tmare both groping for the eye, and each finding fault with Scar

efore they can clap the eye into either of their heads. Rush

ed to look up into his face with a knowing air, and an expression as if it would have winked, had it been provided with a pair of eyelids for that purpose. But the Gray Women knew nothing of what had happened; and, each supposing that o

er. If anybody is in fault, it is myself; for I have the honour

ring a strange voice, and discovering that their eyesight had got into the hands of they could not guess whom. "Oh, what shall we do, sisters?

ack the eye as soon as they direct you where to find the Nymphs who ha

on for putting yourselves into such a fright. I am by no means a bad young man. You shall have back

ome that live inside of trees, and some that have a comfortable home in fountains of water. We know nothing at all about them. We are three unfortunate old souls, that

outstretched hands, and trying their utmost to get hold of

fast in my hand, and shall keep it safely for you, until you please to tell me where to find these Nymphs. The Ny

n his head, if he was silly enough to put them on. And a helmet of invisibility! How could a helmet make him invisible, unless it were big enough for him to hide under it? And an enchanted wallet! What sort of a contrivance may that be, I

matter; and, as it grieved him to have put them to so much trouble, he was just on the point of restor

that can tell you where to find the Nymphs; and, unless you get that information, you will never succeed

ding that there was no other way of recovering it, they at last told Perseus what he wanted to know. No sooner had they done so, than he immediately, and with the utmost respect, clapped the eye into the vacant socket in one of their foreheads, thanked them f

ity, as they could not conveniently do without one another, and were evidently intended to be inseparable companions. As a general rule, I would advise all people,

autiful; and instead of one eye amongst the sisterhood, each Nymph had two exceedingly bright eyes of her own, with which she looked very kindly at Perseus. They seemed to be acquainted with Quicksilver; and, when he told them the adventure which Perseus had undertaken, they made no difficulty about giving him the valuable articles

ou will find yourself as light heeled as you

de. Unexpectedly, however, this other slipper spread its wings, fluttered up off the ground, and wo

Perseus. "It would frighten the birds, up aloft,

heads of Quicksilver and the Nymphs, and found it very difficult to clamber down again. Winged slippers, and all such high-flying contrivances, are seldom quite easy to manage until one gr

the helmet was put on, there stood Perseus, a beautiful young man, with golden ringlets and rosy cheeks, the crooked sword by his side, and the brightly polished shield upon his arm-a figure that seemed all made up of courage,

, Perseus?" as

lthough his voice seemed to come out of the transparent at

. But, if I cannot see you, neither can the Gorgons. Follow me, the

figure rose lightly into the air, and Perseus followed. By the time they had ascended a few hundred feet, the young man bega

nd its cities of white marble; and, with the moonshine sleeping over the whole scene, it was as beautiful as the moon or any star could be. And, among other objects, he saw the island of Seriphus, where his dear mother was. Sometimes he and Quicksilver approached a cloud, that, at a distance, looked as if it were made of fleecy silver; although, when they plunged into it, they found themselves

e rustle of a garment close by his side; and it was on the side opposite

ed Perseus, "that keeps rustlin

ithout the help of my sister. You have no idea how wise she is. She has such eyes, too! Why, she can see you, at this momen

led a white surf line upon the long beaches, or foamed against the rocky cliffs, with a roar that was thunderous, in the lower world; although it became a gentle murmur, like the voice of a baby half asleep,

he voice, "there

ed Perseus. "I c

eplied the voice. "A pebble, dropped from yo

to discover them," said Quicksilv

he terrible Gorgons! They lay fast asleep, soothed by the thunder of the sea; for it required a tumult that would have deafened everybody else to lull such fierce creatures into slumber. The moonlight glistened on their steely scales, and on their golden wings, which drooped idly over the sand. Their brazen claws, horrible to look at, were thrust out, and clut

ng else; only that they were a thousand and a million times as big. And, with all this, there was something partly human about them, too. Luckily for Perseus, their faces were

of Perseus-"now is your time to do the deed! Be quick; f

and descending a little lower. "They all three look alike.

s could possibly cut off. As for the other two, let him have the sharpest sword that ever was

in her sleep, and is just about to turn over. That is Medusa. Do not look at her! The sight would t

ht falling over it, and displaying all its horror. The snakes, whose venomous natures could not altogether sleep, kept twisting themselves over the forehead. It was the fiercest and most horrible face that ever was seen or imagined, and yet with a strange, fearful, and sava

tless by it. They twined themselves into tumultuous knots, writhed fier

ver, who was growing impatient

ung man's side. "Look in your shield, as you fly downwar

ter grow. At last, when he found himself hovering over her within arm's length, Perseus uplifted his sword, while, at the same instant, each separate snake upon the Gorgon's head stretched th

ilver. "Make haste, and clap t

which had hitherto been no bigger than a purse, grew all at once large enough to contain Medusa's h

ow fly; for the other Gorgons will do their

t, for an instant, sleepily rubbing their eyes with their brazen fingers, while all the snakes on their heads reared themselves on end with surprise, and with venomous malice against they knew not what. But when the Gorgons saw the scaly carcass of Medusa, headless

se the Gorgons, as I tell you, staring horribly about, in hopes of turning somebody to stone. Had Perseus looked them in the face, or had he fallen into their clutches, his poor mother would never have kissed her boy again! But he took good care to turn his eyes another way; and, as he wore the helmet of invisibility, the Gorgons knew no

n the point of devouring a beautiful maiden; nor how he changed an enormous giant into a mountain of stone, merely by showing him the head of the Gorgon. If

a temple, where some good old priests were extremely kind to her. These praiseworthy priests, and the kind-hearted fisherman, who had first shown hospitality to Dana? and little Perseus when he found them afloat in the chest, seem

ans rejoiced to see him; for he had felt almost certain, in his own evil mind, that the Gorgons would have torn the poor young man to pieces, and have

the snaky locks? If not, young man, it will cost you dear; for I must have a bridal present f

f it were no very wonderful deed for such a young man as he to per

dectes. "It must be a very curious spectacle,

look at it. And, if Your Majesty think fit, I would suggest that a holiday be proclaimed, and that all Your Majesty's subjects be s

. Thither, accordingly, came a great multitude of good-for-nothing vagabonds, all of whom, out of pure love of mischief, would have been glad if Perseus had met with some ill-hap in his encounter with the Gorgons. If there were any better people in the island (as I really hope there may have been, although the story tells nothing about any suc

his evil counsellors, and with his flattering courtiers in a semi-circle round about

ess in their cry as if they would tear Perseus to pieces, unless he should satisf

and pity came over t

nd ye many people, I am very loat

before. "He is making game of us! He has no Gorgon's head! Show us t

at Perseus had shown disrespect to their royal lord and master; and the great King Polydectes himself wav

n's head, or I wil

rseus

repeated Polydec

Perseus, in a voice like

but the mere images of a monarch and his people. They were all fixed, forever, in the look and attitude of that moment! At the first glimpse of the terrible head of Medusa,