Young Folks Treasury, Volume 2 (of 12)

ne, and the babe was now grown

t all the people in the isle call

and gentle and courteous, for good old Dictys had trained him well, and well it was for Perseus that he had done so. Fo

not a good man like his brother Dictys,

ry her. But she would not, for she did not

s away at sea, he took poor Dan? away from Dictys, sayi

d had to fetch water from th

seas, little thinking that his mot

to get out of the sun, and sat down on the turf and fell asleep. And as he sle

y eyes, clear and piercing, but strangely soft and mild. On her head was a helmet, and in her hand a spear. And over he

erseus dropped his eyes, trembling and blushing, as the won

dy? And how do y

brazen shield, and cried, "See here, Perseus, dare you face such a mo

. It was the face of a beautiful woman, but her cheeks were pale, and her lips were thin. Instead of

anything so fierce and ugly on earth, it were a no

is Medusa the Gorgon. Return to your home, and when you have done the work

he strange lady vanished, and he

hing he heard was that his mother wa

the men's rooms and the women's rooms, and so through all the house, till he found his

de her follow him forth. But before they co

ercy to strangers and widows? Thou shalt die." And because he had no sword he

and good Dictys too entreated him to rem

s, who had been trembling all this while lik

le sweepers. And there they knew that she would be safe, for not even Polydectes would dare to drag

d, so he made a plot to get rid of him. First he pretended to have forgiven Perseus, and to have forgotten Dan?, so that for a while all went smoothly. Next he proclaimed a great

t for the King. One brought a horse, another a shawl, or a ring, or a sword, and some brought basket

od at the door, sorrowfully watching the rich men go in, and his face grew very r

en round laughed and mocked, till the lad grew mad w

ot bring a nobler one tha

e present to be?" cried they

ange dream, and he cried aloud,

ords, for all laughed louder than ever, an

Gorgon's head. Then never appear ag

allen into a trap, but he

oked across the broad blue sea, an

orgon?" he prayed. "Rashly and angrily I promi

wer nor sign, not ev

"Rashly and angrily I promised, but

it touched the cliffs, it broke and parted, and within it appeared A

s, and he fell down and worshiped, f

ear. "Perseus," she said, "you have braved Polydectes

r since you spoke to me, new

journey, in which you cannot turn back nor escape. If your he

d wise Athene, how I can do but this

one eye and one tooth amongst them. Ask them the way to the daughters of the Evening Star, for they will tell you the way to

eyes?" said Perseus; "wi

u may strike her safely. And when you have struck off her head, wrap it, with your face turned away, in the folds of the

hall I cross the seas without a ship? And who will show me the

ke a bird, as they bear me all day long. The sandals themselves will guide you on the road, for they are divine and cannot s

nd girded on the sa

"Now leap from the

huddered, but he was ashamed to show his

lling, he floated, and st