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diff --git a/old/haw8210.txt b/old/haw8210.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c218850..0000000 --- a/old/haw8210.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1498 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg EBook, The Gorgon's Head, by Nathaniel Hawthorne -From "A Wonder-Book For Girls and Boys" -#82 in our series by Nathaniel Hawthorne - -Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the -copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing -this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. - -This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project -Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the -header without written permission. - -Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the -eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is -important information about your specific rights and restrictions in -how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a -donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. - - -**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** - -**EBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** - -*****These EBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers***** - - - -Title: The Gorgon's Head - (From: "A Wonder-Book For Girls and Boys") - -Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne - -Release Date: Nov, 2005 [EBook #9255] -[This file was first posted on September 25, 2003] -[Last updated on February 6, 2007] - -Edition: 10 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - - - - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE GORGON'S HEAD *** - - - - -This eBook was produced by David Widger - - - - - - A WONDER-BOOK FOR GIRLS AND BOYS - - By Nathaniel Hawthorne - - - THE GORGON'S HEAD - - - - -CONTENTS: - -TANGLEWOOD PORCH--Introductory to "The Gorgon's Head" -THE GORGON'S HEAD -TANGLEWOOD PORCH--After the Story - - - -The author has long been of opinion that many of the classical myths -were capable of being rendered into very capital reading for children. - -In the little volume here offered to the public, he has worked up half a -dozen of them, with this end in view. A great freedom of treatment was -necessary to his plan; but it will be observed by every one who attempts -to render these legends malleable in his intellectual furnace, that they -are marvellously independent of all temporary modes and circumstances. -They remain essentially the same, after changes that would affect the -identity of almost anything else. - -He does not, therefore, plead guilty to a sacrilege, in having sometimes -shaped anew, as his fancy dictated, the forms that have been hallowed by -an antiquity of two or three thousand years. No epoch of time can claim -a copyright in these immortal fables. They seem never to have been -made; and certainly, so long as man exists, they can never perish; but, -by their indestructibility itself, they are legitimate subjects for -every age to clothe with its own garniture of manners and sentiment, and -to imbue with its own morality. In the present version they may have -lost much of their classical aspect (or, at all events, the author has -not been careful to preserve it), and have, perhaps, assumed a Gothic or -romantic guise. - -In performing this pleasant task,--for it has been really a task fit for -hot weather, and one of the most agreeable, of a literary kind, which he -ever undertook,--the author has not always thought it necessary to write -downward, in order to meet the comprehension of children. He has -generally suffered the theme to soar, whenever such was its tendency, -and when he himself was buoyant enough to follow without an effort. -Children possess an unestimated sensibility to whatever is deep or high, -in imagination or feeling, so long as it is simple, likewise. It is -only the artificial and the complex that bewilder them. - -Lenox, July 15, 1851. - - - - -THE GORGON'S HEAD - -TANGLEWOOD PORCH - -INTRODUCTORY TO "THE GORGON'S HEAD." - -Beneath the porch of the country-seat called Tanglewood, one fine -autumnal morning, was assembled a merry party of little folks, with a -tall youth in the midst of them. They had planned a nutting expedition, -and were impatiently waiting for the mists to roll up the hill-slopes, -and for the sun to pour the warmth of the Indian summer over the fields -and pastures, and into the nooks of the many-colored woods. There was a -prospect of as fine a day as ever gladdened the aspect of this beautiful -and comfortable world. As yet, however, the morning mist filled up the -whole length and breadth of the valley, above which, on a gently sloping -eminence, the mansion stood. - -This body of white vapor extended to within less than a hundred yards of -the house. It completely hid everything beyond that distance, except a -few ruddy or yellow tree-tops, which here and there emerged, and were -glorified by the early sunshine, as was likewise the broad surface of -the mist. Four or five miles off to the southward rose the summit of -Monument Mountain, and seemed to be floating on a cloud. Some fifteen -miles farther away, in the same direction, appeared the loftier Dome of -Taconic, looking blue and indistinct, and hardly so substantial as the -vapory sea that almost rolled over it. The nearer hills, which bordered -the valley, were half submerged, and were specked with little -cloud-wreaths all the way to their tops. On the whole, there was so much -cloud, and so little solid earth, that it had the effect of a vision. - -The children above-mentioned, being as full of life as they could hold, -kept overflowing from the porch of Tanglewood, and scampering along the -gravel-walk, or rushing across the dewy herbage of the lawn. I can -hardly tell how many of these small people there were; not less than -nine or ten, however, nor more than a dozen, of all sorts, sizes, and -ages, whether girls or boys. They were brothers, sisters, and cousins, -together with a few of their young acquaintances, who had been invited -by Mr. and Mrs. Pringle to spend some of this delightful weather with -their own children, at Tanglewood. I am afraid to tell you their names, -or even to give them any names which other children have ever been -called by; because, to my certain knowledge, authors sometimes get -themselves into great trouble by accidentally giving the names of real -persons to the characters in their books. For this reason, I mean to -call them Primrose, Periwinkle, Sweet Fern, Dandelion, Blue Eye, Clover, -Huckleberry, Cowslip, Squash-blossom, Milkweed, Plantain, and Buttercup; -although, to be sure, such titles might better suit a group of fairies -than a company of earthly children. - -It is not to be supposed that these little folks were to be permitted by -their careful fathers and mothers, uncles, aunts, or grandparents, to -stray abroad into the woods and fields, without the guardianship of some -particularly grave and elderly person. O no, indeed! In the first -sentence of my book, you will recollect that I spoke of a tall youth, -standing in the midst of the children. His name--(and I shall let you -know his real name, because he considers it a great honor to have told -the stories that are here to be printed)--his name was Eustace Bright. -He was a student at Williams College, and had reached, I think, at this -period, the venerable age of eighteen--years; so that he felt quite like -a grandfather towards Periwinkle, Dandelion, Huckleberry, Squash- -blossom, Milkweed, and the rest, who were only half or a third as -venerable as he. A trouble in his eyesight (such as many students think -it necessary to have, nowadays, in order to prove their diligence at -their books) had kept him from college a week or two after the beginning -of the term. But, for my part, I have seldom met with a pair of eyes -that looked as if they could see farther or better than those of Eustace -Bright. - -This learned student was slender, and rather pale, as all Yankee -students are; but yet of a healthy aspect, and as light and active as if -he had wings to his shoes. By the by, being much addicted to wading -through streamlets and across meadows, he had put on cowhide boots for -the expedition. He wore a linen blouse, a cloth cap, and a pair of -green spectacles, which he had assumed, probably, less for the -preservation of his eyes, than for the dignity that they imparted to his -countenance. In either case, however, he might as well have let then -alone; for Huckleberry, a mischievous little elf, crept behind Eustace -as he sat on the steps of the porch, snatched the spectacles from his -nose, and clapped them on her own; and as the student forgot to take -them back, they fell off into the grass, and lay there till the next -spring. - -Now, Eustace Bright, you must know, had won great fame among the -children, as a narrator of wonderful stories; and though he sometimes -pretended to be annoyed, when they teased him for more, and more, and -always for more, yet I really doubt whether he liked anything quite so -well as to tell them. You might have seen his eyes twinkle, therefore, -when Clover, Sweet Fern, Cowslip, Buttercup, and most of their -playmates, besought him to relate one of his stories, while they were -waiting for the mist to clear up. - -"Yes, Cousin Eustace," said Primrose, who was a bright girl of twelve, -with laughing eyes, and a nose that turned up a little, "the morning is -certainly the best time for the stories with which you so often tire out -our patience. We shall be in less danger of hurting your feelings, by -falling asleep at the most interesting points,--as little Cowslip and I -did last night!" - -"Naughty Primrose," cried Cowslip, a child of six years old; "I did not -fall asleep, and I only shut my eyes, so as to see a picture of what -Cousin Eustace was telling about. His stories are good to hear at -night, because we can dream about them asleep; and good in the morning, -too, because then we can dream about them awake. So I hope he will tell -us one this very minute." - -"Thank you, my little Cowslip," said Eustace; "certainly you shall have -the best story I can think of, if it were only for defending me so well -from that naughty Primrose. But, children, I have already told you so -many fairy tales, that I doubt whether there is a single one which you -have not heard at least twice over. I am afraid you will fall asleep in -reality, if I repeat any of them again." - -"No, no, no!" cried Blue Eye, Periwinkle, Plantain, and half a dozen -others. "We like a story all the better for having heard it two or -three tunes before." - -And it is a truth, as regards children, that a story seems often to -deepen its mark in their interest, not merely by two or three, but by -numberless repetitions. But Eustace Bright, in the exuberance of his -resources, scorned to avail himself of an advantage which an older -story-teller would have been glad to grasp at. - -"It would be a great pity," said he, "if a man of my learning (to say -nothing of original fancy) could not find a new story every day, year in -and year out, for children such as you. I will tell you one of the -nursery tales that were made for the amusement of our great old -grandmother, the Earth, when she was a child in frock and pinafore. -There are a hundred such; and it is a wonder to me that they have not -long ago been put into picture-books for little girls and boys. But, -instead of that, old gray-bearded grandsires pore over them, in musty -volumes of Greek, and puzzle themselves with trying to find out when, -and how, and for what they were made." - -"Well, well, well, well, Cousin Eustace!" cried all the children at -once; "talk no more about your stories, but begin." - -"Sit down, then, every soul of you," said Eustace Bright, "and be all as -still as so many mice. At the slightest interruption, whether from -great, naughty Primrose, little Dandelion, or any other, I shall bite -the story short off between my teeth, and swallow the untold part. But, -in the first place, do any of you know what a Gorgon is?" - -"I do," said Primrose. - -"Then hold your tongue!" rejoined Eustace, who had rather she would have -known nothing about the matter. "Hold all your tongues, and I shall -tell you a sweet pretty story of a Gorgon's head." - -And so he did, as you may begin to read on the next page. Working up -his sophomorical erudition with a good deal of tact, and incurring great -obligations to Professor Anthon, he, nevertheless, disregarded all -classical authorities, whenever the vagrant audacity of his imagination -impelled him to do so. - - - -THE GORGON'S HEAD. - -Perseus was the son of Danae, who was the daughter of a king. And when -Perseus was a very little boy, some wicked people put his mother and -himself 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 -tossed it up and down; while Danae clasped her child closely to her -bosom, and dreaded that some big wave would dash its foamy crest over -them both. The chest sailed on, however, and neither sank nor was -upset; until, when night was coming, it floated so near an island that -it got entangled in a fisherman's nets, and was drawn out high and dry -upon the sand. The island was called Seriphus, and it was reigned over -by King Polydectes, who happened to be the fisherman's brother. - -This fisherman, I am glad to tell you, was an exceedingly humane and -upright man. He showed great kindness to Danae and her little boy; and -continued to befriend them, until Perseus had grown to be a handsome -youth, very strong and active, and skilful in the use of arms. Long -before this time, King Polydectes 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 some great mischief to Danae -herself. So this bad-hearted king spent a long while in considering -what was the most dangerous thing that a young man could possibly -undertake to perform. At last, having hit upon an enterprise that -promised to turn out as fatally as he desired, he sent for the youthful -Perseus. - -The young man came to the palace, and found the king sitting upon his -throne. - -"Perseus," said King Polydectes, smiling craftily upon him, "you are -grown up a fine young man. You and your good mother have received a -great deal of kindness from myself, as well as from my worthy brother -the fisherman, and I suppose you would not be sorry to repay some of -it." - -"Please your Majesty," answered Perseus, "I would willingly risk my life -to do so." - -"Well, then," continued the king, still with a curving smile on his -lips, "I have a little adventure to propose to you; and, as you are a -brave and enterprising youth, you will doubtless look upon it as a great -piece of good luck to have 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-fetched and elegant -curiosity. I have been a little perplexed, I must honestly confess, -where to obtain anything likely to please a princess of her exquisite -taste. But, this morning, I flatter myself, I have thought of precisely -the article." - -"And can I assist your Majesty in obtaining it?" cried Perseus, eagerly. - -"You can, if you are as brave a youth as I believe you to be," replied -King Polydectes, with the utmost graciousness of manner. "The bridal -gift which 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 Perseus, to bring it to me. So, as I am anxious to settle -affairs with the princess, the sooner you go in quest of the Gorgon, the -better I shall be pleased." - -"I will set out to-morrow morning," answered Perseus. - -"Pray do so, my gallant youth," rejoined the king. "And, Perseus, in -cutting off the Gorgon's head, be careful to make a clean stroke, so as -not to injure its appearance. You must bring it home in the very best -condition, in order to suit the exquisite taste of the beautiful -Princess Hippodamia." - -Perseus left the palace, but was scarcely out of hearing before -Polydectes burst into a laugh; being greatly amused, wicked king that he -was, to find how readily the young man fell into the snare. The news -quickly spread abroad, that Perseus had undertaken 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 -Danae and her son. The only good man in this unfortunate island of -Seriphus appears to have been the fisherman. As Perseus walked along, -therefore, the people pointed after him, and made mouths, and winked to -one another, and ridiculed him as loudly as they dared. - -"Ho, ho!" cried they; "Medusa's snakes will sting him soundly!" - -Now, there were three Gorgons alive, at that period; and they were the -most strange and terrible monsters that had ever been since the world -was made, or that have been seen in after days, or that are likely to be -seen in all time to come. I hardly know what sort of creature or -hobgoblin to call them. They were three sisters, and seem to have borne -some distant resemblance to women, but were really 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 Gorgons were terribly long tusks; their hands were made -of brass; and their bodies were all over scales, which, if not iron, -were something as hard and impenetrable. They had wings, too, and -exceedingly splendid ones, I can assure you; for every feather in them -was pure, bright, glittering, burnished gold, and they looked very -dazzlingly, no doubt, when the Gorgons were flying about in the -sunshine. - -But when people happened to catch a glimpse of their glittering -brightness, aloft in the air, they seldom stopped to gaze, but ran and -hid themselves as speedily as they could. You will think, perhaps, that -they were afraid of being stung by the serpents 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 difficult to avoid. For the worst thing about these -abominable Gorgons was, that, if once a poor mortal fixed his eyes full -upon one of their faces, he was certain, that very instant, to be -changed from warm flesh and blood into cold and lifeless stone! - -Thus, as you will easily perceive, it was a very dangerous adventure -that the wicked King Polydectes had contrived for this innocent young -man. Perseus himself, when he had thought over the matter, could not -help seeing that he had very little chance of coming safely through it, -and that he was far more likely to become a stone image than to bring -back the head of Medusa 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 contending. Else, while -his arm was lifted to strike, he would stiffen into stone, and stand -with that uplifted arm for centuries, until time, and the wind and -weather, should crumble him quite away. This would be a very sad thing -to befall a young mail who wanted to perform a great many brave deeds, -and to enjoy a great deal of happiness, in this bright and beautiful -world. - -So disconsolate did these thoughts make him, that Perseus could not bear -to tell his another what he had undertaken to do. He therefore took his -shield, girded on his sword, and crossed over from the island to the -mainland, where he sat down in a solitary place, and hardly refrained -from shedding tears. - -But, while he was in this sorrowful mood, he heard a voice close beside -him. - -"Perseus," said the voice, "why are you sad?" - -He lifted his head from his hands, in which he had hidden it, and, -behold! all alone as Perseus had supposed himself to be, there was a -stranger in the solitary place. It was a brisk, intelligent, and -remarkably shrewd-looking young man, with a cloak over his shoulders, -an odd sort of cap on his head, a strangely twisted staff in his hand, -and a short and 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 spirits grow livelier, as he gazed at -him. Besides, being really a courageous youth, he felt greatly ashamed -that anybody should have found him with tears in his eyes, like a timid -little school-boy, when, after all, there might be no occasion for -despair. So Perseus wiped his eyes, and answered the stranger pretty -briskly, putting on as brave a look as he could. - -"I am not so very sad," said he; "only thoughtful about an adventure -that I have undertaken." - -"Oho!" answered the stranger. "Well, tell me all about it, and possibly -I may be of service to you. I have helped a good many young men through -adventures that looked difficult enough beforehand. Perhaps you may -have heard of me. I have more names than one; but the name of -Quicksilver suits me as well as any other. Tell me what your trouble -is, and we will talk the matter over, and see what can be done." - -The stranger's words and manner put Perseus into quite a different mood -from his former one. He resolved to tell Quicksilver all his -difficulties, since he could not easily be worse off than he already -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 Polydeetes wanted the -head of Medusa with the snaky locks as a bridal gift for the beautiful -Princess Hippodamia, and how that he had undertaken to get it for him, -but was afraid of being turned into stone. - -"And that would be a great pity," said Quicksilver, with his mischievous -smile. "You would make a very handsome marble statue, it is true, and -it would be a considerable number of centuries before you crumbled away; -but, on the whole, one would rather be a young man for a few years, than -a stone image for a great many." - -"O, far rather!" exclaimed Perseus, with the tears again standing in his -eyes. "And, besides, what would my dear mother do, if her beloved son -were turned into a stone?" - -"Well, well; let us hope that the affair will not turn out so very -badly," replied Quicksilver, in an encouraging tone. "I am the very -person to help you, if anybody can. My sister and myself will do our -utmost to bring you safe through the adventure, ugly as it now looks." - -"Your sister?" repeated Perseus. - -"Yes, my sister," said the stranger. "She is very wise, I promise you; -and as for myself, I generally have all my wits about me, such as they -are. If you show yourself bold and cautious, and follow our advice, you -need not fear being a stone image yet awhile. But, first of all, you -must polish your shield, till you can see your face in it as distinctly -as in a mirror." - -This seemed to Perseus rather an odd beginning of the adventure; for he -thought it of far more consequence that the shield should be strong -enough to defend him from the Gorgon's brazen claws, than that it should -be bright 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 shone like the moon at harvest-time. Quicksilver -looked at it with a smile, and nodded his approbation. Then, taking off -his own short and crooked sword, he girded it about Perseus, instead of -the one which he had before worn. - -"No sword but mine will answer your purpose," observed he; "the blade -has a most excellent temper, and will cut through iron and brass as -easily as through the slenderest twig. And now we will set out. The -next thing is to find the Three Gray Women, who will tell us where to -find the Nymphs." - -"The Three Gray Women!" cried Perseus, to whom this seemed only a new -difficulty in the path of his adventure; "pray, who may the Three Gray -Women be? I never heard of them before." - -"They are three very strange old ladies," said Quicksilver, laughing. -"They have but one eye among them, and only one tooth. Moreover, you -must find them out by starlight, or in the dusk of the evening; for they -never show themselves by the light either of the sun or moon." - -"But," said Perseus, "why should I waste my time with these Three Gray -Women? Would it not be better to set out at once in search of the -terrible Gorgons?" - -"No, no," answered his friend. "There are other things to be done, -before you can find your way to the Gorgons. There is nothing for it -but to hunt up these old ladies; and when we meet with them, you may be -sure that the Gorgons are not a great way off. Come, let us be -stirring!" - -Perseus, by this time, felt so much confidence in his companion's -sagacity, that he made no more objections, and professed himself ready -to begin the adventure immediately. They accordingly set out, and -walked at a pretty brisk pace; so brisk, indeed, that Perseus found it -rather difficult to keep up with his 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; although, if he -turned a full gaze, there were no such things to be perceived, but only -an odd kind of cap. But, at all events, the twisted staff was evidently -a great convenience to Quicksilver, and enabled him to proceed so fast, -that Perseus, though a remarkably active young man, began to be out of -breath. - -"Here!" cried Quicksilver, at last,--for he knew well enough, rogue that -he was, how hard Perseus found it to keep pace with him,--"take you the -staff, for you need it a great deal more than I. Are there no better -walkers than yourself, in the island of Seriphus?" - -"I could walk pretty well," said Perseus, glancing slyly at his -companion's feet, "if I had only a pair of winged shoes." - -"We must see about getting you a pair," answered Quicksilver. - -But the staff helped Perseus along so bravely, that he no longer felt -the slightest weariness. In fact, the stick seemed to be alive in his -hand, and to lend some of its life to Perseus. He and Quicksilver now -walked onward 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 wonderful person. He evidently knew the -world; and nobody is so charming to a young man as a friend who has that -kind of knowledge. Perseus listened the more eagerly, in the hope of -brightening his own wits by what he heard. - -At last, he happened to recollect that Quicksilver had spoken of a -sister, who was to lend her assistance in the adventure which they were -now bound upon. - -"Where is she?" he inquired. "Shall we not meet her soon?" - -"All at the proper time," said his companion. "But this sister of mine, -you must understand, is quite a different sort of character from myself. -She is very grave and prudent, seldom smiles, never laughs, and makes it -a rule not to utter a word unless she has something particularly -profound to say. Neither will she listen to any but the wisest -conversation." - -"Dear me!" ejaculated Perseus; "I shall be afraid to say a syllable." - -"She is a very accomplished person, I assure you," continued -Quicksilver, "and has all the arts and sciences at her fingers' ends. -In short, she is so immoderately 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 her so pleasant a -travelling companion as myself. She has her good points, nevertheless; -and you will find the benefit of them, in your encounter with the -Gorgons." - -By this time it had grown quite dusk. They were now come to a very wild -and desert place, overgrown with shaggy bushes, and so silent and -solitary that nobody seemed ever to have dwelt or journeyed there. All -was waste and desolate, in the gray twilight, which grew every moment -more obscure. Perseus looked about him, rather disconsolately, and -asked Quicksilver whether they had a great deal farther to go. - -"Hist! Hist!" whispered his companion. "Make no noise! This is just -the time and place to meet the Three Gray Women. Be careful that they -do not see you before you see them; for, though they have but a single -eye among the three, it is as sharp-sighted as half a dozen common -eyes." - -"But what must I do," asked Perseus, "when we meet them?" - -Quicksilver explained to Perseus how the Three Gray Women managed with -their one eye. They were in the habit, it seems, of changing it from -one to another, as if it had been a pair of spectacles, or--which would -have suited them better--quizzing-glass. When one of the three had kept -the eye a certain time, she took it 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, at the instant when the eye was passing from hand to -hand, neither of the poor old ladies was able to see a wink. I have -heard of a great many strange things, in my day, and have witnessed not -a few; but none, it seems to me, that can compare with the oddity of -these Three Gray Women, all peeping through a single eye. - -So thought Perseus, likewise, and was so astonished that he almost -fancied his companion was joking with him, and that there were no such -old women in the world. - -"You will soon find whether I tell the truth or no," observed -Quicksilver. "Hark! hush! Hist! hist! There they come, now!" - -Perseus looked earnestly through the dusk of the evening, and there, -sure enough, at no great distance off, he descried the Three Gray Women. -The light being so faint, he could not well make out what sort of -figures they were; only he discovered that they had long 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 diamond in a ring; and so penetrating -did it seem to be, that Perseus could not help thinking it must possess -the gift of seeing in the darkest midnight just as perfectly as at -noonday. The sight of three persons' eyes was melted and collected into -that single one. - -Thus the three old dames got along about as comfortably, upon the whole, -as if they could all see at once. She who chanced to have the eye in -her forehead 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 clump of bushes behind which he and Quicksilver had -hidden themselves. My stars! it was positively terrible to be within -reach of so very sharp an eye! - -But, before they reached the clump of bushes, one of the Three Gray -Women spoke. - -"Sister! Sister Scarecrow!" cried she, "you have had the eye long -enough. It is my turn now!" - -"Let me keep it a moment longer, Sister Nightmare," answered Scarecrow. -"I thought I had a glimpse of something behind that thick bush." - -"Well, and what of that?" retorted Nightmare, peevishly. "Can't I see -into a thick bush as easily as yourself? The eye is mine, as well as -yours; and I know the use of it as well as you, or may be a little -better. I insist upon taking a peep immediately!" - -But here the third sister, whose name was Shakejoint, began to complain, -and said that it was her turn to have the eye, and that Scarecrow and -Nightmare wanted to keep it all to themselves. To end the dispute, old -Dame Scarecrow took the eye out of her forehead, and held it forth in -her hand. - -"Take it, one of you," cried she, "and quit this foolish quarrelling. -For my part, I shall be glad of a little thick darkness. Take it -quickly, however, or I must clap it into my own head again!" - -Accordingly, both Nightmare and Shakejoint stretched out their hands, -groping eagerly to snatch the eye out of the hand of Scarecrow. But, -being both alike blind, they could not easily find where Scarecrow's -hand was; and Scarecrow, being now 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 into a -strange perplexity. For, though the eye shone and glistened like a -star, as Scarecrow held it out, yet the Gray Women caught not the least -glimpse of its light, and were all three in utter darkness, from too -impatient a desire to see. - -Quicksilver was so much tickled at beholding Shakejoint and Nightmare -both groping for the eye, and each finding fault with Scarecrow and one -another, that he could scarcely help laughing aloud. - -"Now is your time!" he whispered to Perseus. - -"Quick, quick! before they can clap the eye into either of their heads. -Rush out upon the old ladies, and snatch it from Scarecrow's hand!" - -In an instant, while the Three Gray Women were still scolding each -other, Perseus leaped front behind the clump of bushes, and made himself -master of the prize. The marvellous eye, as he held it in his hand, -shone very brightly, and seemed 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 one of her -sisters was in possession of the eye, they began their quarrel anew. At -last, as Perseus did not wish to put these respectable dames to greater -inconvenience than was really necessary, he thought it right to explain -the matter. "My good ladies," said he, "pray do not be angry with one -another. If anybody is in fault, it is myself; for I have the honor to -hold your very brilliant and excellent eye in my own hand!" - -"You! you have our eye! And who are you?" screamed the Three Gray -Women, all in a breath; for they were terribly frightened, of course, at -hearing a strange voice, and discovering that their eyesight had got -into the hands of they could not guess whom. "O, what shall we do, -sisters? what shall we do? We are all in the dark! Give us our eye! -Give us our one, precious, solitary eye! You have two of your own Give -us our eye!" - -"Tell them," whispered Quicksilver to Perseus, "that they shall have -back the eye as soon as they direct you where to find the Nymphs who -have the flying slippers, the magic wallet, and the helmet of darkness." - -"My dear, good, admirable old ladies," said Perseus, addressing the Gray -Women, "there is no occasion for putting yourselves into such a fright. -I am by no means a bad young man. You shall have back your eye, safe -and sound, and as bright as ever, the moment you tell me where to find -the Nymphs." - -"The Nymphs! Goodness me! sisters, what Nymphs does he mean?" screamed -Scarecrow. "There are a great many Nymphs, people say; some that go a -hunting in the woods, and some 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 go wandering about -in the dusk, and never had but one eye amongst us, and that one you have -stolen away. O, give it back, good stranger!--whoever you are, give it -back!" - -All this while the Three Gray Women were groping with their outstretched -hands, and trying their utmost to get hold of Perseus. But he took good -care to keep out of their reach. - -"My respectable dames," said he,--for his mother had taught him always -to use the greatest civility,--"I hold your eye fast in my hand, and -shall keep it safely for you, until you please to tell me where to find -these Nymphs. The Nymphs, I mean, who keep the enchanted wallet, the -flying slippers, and the what is it?--the helmet of invisibility." - -"Mercy on us, sisters! what is the young man talking about?" exclaimed -Scarecrow, Nightmare, and Shakejoint, one to another, with great -appearance of astonishment. "A pair of flying slippers, quoth he! His -heels would quickly fly higher than his head, if he were 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 wonder? -No, no, good stranger! we can tell you nothing of these marvellous -things. You have two eyes of your own, and we have but a single one -amongst us three. You can find out such wonders better than three blind -old creatures, like us." - -Perseus, hearing them talk in this way, began really to think that the -Gray Women knew nothing of the matter; and, as it grieved him to have -put them to so much trouble, he was just on the point of restoring their -eye and asking pardon for his rudeness in snatching it away. But -Quicksilver caught his hand. - -"Don't let them make a fool of you!" said he. "These Three Gray Women -are the only persons in the world that can tell you where to find the -Nymphs; and, unless you get that information, you will never succeed in -cutting off the head of Medusa with the snaky locks. Keep fast hold of -the eye, and all will go well." - -As it turned out, Quicksilver was in the right. There are but few -things that people prize so much as they do their eyesight; and the Gray -Women valued their single eye as highly as if it had been half a dozen, -which was the number they ought to have had. Finding 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 for their kindness, and bade them farewell. -Before the young man was out of hearing, however, they had got into a -new dispute, because he happened to have given the eye to Scarecrow, who -had already taken her turn of it when their trouble with Perseus -commenced. - - -It is greatly to be feared that the Three Gray Women were very much in -the habit of disturbing their mutual harmony by bickerings of this sort; -which was the more pity, 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, whether sisters or brothers, -old or young, who chance to have but one eye amongst them, to cultivate -forbearance, and not all insist upon peeping through it at once. - -Quicksilver and Perseus, in the mean time, were making the best of their -way in quest of the Nymphs. The old dames had given them such -particular directions, that they were not long in finding them out. -They proved to be very different persons from Nightmare Shakejoint, and -Scarecrow; for, instead of being old, they were young and beautiful; 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 that were in their -custody. In the first place, they brought out what appeared to be a -small purse, made of deer-skin, and curiously embroidered, and bade him -be sure and keep it safe. This was the magic wallet. The Nymphs next -produced a pair of shoes, or slippers, or sandals, with a nice little -pair of wings at the heel of each. - -"Put them on, Perseus," said Quicksilver. "You will find yourself as -light-heeled as you can desire, for the remainder of our journey." - -So Perseus proceeded to put one of the slippers on, while he laid the -other on the ground by his side. Unexpectedly, however, this other -slipper spread its wings, fluttered up off the ground, and would -probably have flown away, if Quicksilver had not made a leap, and -luckily caught it in the air. - -"Be more careful," said he, as he gave it back to Perseus. "It would -frighten the birds, up aloft, if they should see a flying slipper -amongst them." - -When Perseus had got on both of these wonderful slippers, he was -altogether too buoyant to tread on earth. Making a step or two, lo and -behold! upward he popt into the air, high above the 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 grows a little accustomed to -them. Quicksilver laughed at his companion's involuntary activity, and -told him that he must not be in so desperate a hurry, but must wait for -the invisible helmet. - -The good-natured Nymphs had the helmet, with its dark tuft of waving -plumes, all in readiness to put upon his head. And now there happened -about as wonderful an incident as anything that I have yet told you. -The instant before 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, sprightliness, and glorious -light. But when the helmet had descended over his white brow, there was -no longer any Perseus to be seen! Nothing but empty air! Even the -helmet, that covered him with its invisibility, had vanished! - -"Where are you, Perseus?" asked Quicksilver. - -"Why, here, to be sure!" answered Perseus, very quietly, although his -voice seemed to come out of the transparent atmosphere. "Just where I -was a moment ago. Don't you see me?" - -"No, indeed!" answered his friend. "You are hidden under the helmet. -But, if I cannot see you, neither can the Gorgons. Follow me, -therefore, and we will try your dexterity in using the winged slippers." - -With these words, Quicksilver's cap spread its wings, as if his head -were about to fly away from his shoulders; but his whole figure rose -lightly into the air, and Perseus followed. By the time they had -ascended a few hundred feet, the young man began to feel what a -delightful thing it was to leave the dull earth so far beneath him, and -to be able to flit about like a bird. - -It was now deep night. Perseus looked upward, and saw the round, -bright, silvery moon, and thought that he should desire nothing better -than to soar up thither, and spend his life there. Then he looked -downward again, and saw the earth, with its seas, and lakes, and the -silver courses of its rivers, and its snowy mountain-peaks, and the -breadth of its fields, and the dark cluster of its woods, and 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 Seriplius, 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 chilled and moistened with gray mist. So -swift was their flight, however, that, in an instant, they emerged from -the cloud into the moonlight again. Once, a high-soaring eagle flew -right against the invisible Perseus. The bravest sights were the -meteors, that gleamed suddenly out, as if a bonfire had been kindled in -the sky, and made the moonshine pale for as much as a hundred miles -around them. - -As the two companions flew onward, Perseus fancied that he could hear -the rustle of a garment close by his side; and it was on the side -opposite to the one where he beheld Quicksilver, yet only Quicksilver -was visible. - -"Whose garment is this," inquired Perseus, "that keeps rustling close -beside me, in the breeze?" - -"O, it is my sister's!" answered Quicksilver. "She is coming along -with us, as I told you she would. We could do nothing without 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 moment, just as distinctly as if you -were not invisible; and I'll venture to say, she will be the first to -discover the Gorgons." - -By this time, in their swift voyage through the air, they had come -within sight of the great ocean, and were soon flying over it. Far -beneath them, the waves tossed themselves tumultuously in mid-sea, or -rolled 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, before it reached the ears of Perseus. Just then a voice spoke -in the air close by him. It seemed to be a woman's voice, and was -melodious, though not exactly what might be called sweet, but grave and -mild. - -"Perseus," said the voice, "there are the Gorgons." - -"Where?" exclaimed Perseus. "I cannot see them." - -"On the shore of that island beneath you," replied the voice. "A -pebble, dropped from your hand, would strike in the midst of them." - -"I told you she would be the first to discover them," said Quicksilver -to Perseus. "And there they are!" - -Straight downward, two or three thousand feet below him, Perseus -perceived a small island, with the sea breaking into white foam all -around its rocky shore, except on one side, where there was a beach of -snowy sand. He descended towards it, and, looking earnestly at a -cluster or heap of brightness, at the foot of a precipice of black -rocks, behold, there were the 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 clutched the wave-beaten fragments of -rock, while the sleeping Gorgons dreamed of tearing some poor mortal all -to pieces. The snakes that served them instead of hair seemed likewise -to be asleep; although, now and then, one would writhe, and lift its -head, and thrust out its forked tongue, emitting a drowsy hiss, and then -let itself subside among its sister snakes. - -The Gorgons were more like an awful, gigantic kind of insect,--immense, -golden-winged beetles, or dragon-flies, or things of that sort,--at once -ugly and beautiful,--than like anything 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 completely hidden from him by the posture in which they lay; -for, had he but looked one instant at them, he would have fallen heavily -out of the air, an image of senseless stone. - -"Now," whispered Quicksilver, as he hovered by the side of Perseus,-- -"now is your time to do the deed! Be quick; for, if one of the Gorgons -should awake, you are too late!" - -"Which shall I strike at?" asked Perseus, drawing his sword and -descending a little lower. "They all three look alike. All three have -snaky locks. Which of the three is Medusa?" - -It must be understood that Medusa was the only one of these dragon- -monsters whose head Perseus could possibly cut off. As for the other -two, let him have the sharpest sword that ever was forged, and he might -have hacked away by the hour together, without doing there the least -harm. - -"Be cautious," said the calm voice which had before spoken to him. "One -of the Gorgons is stirring in her sleep, and is just about to turn over. -That is Medusa. Do not look at her! The sight would turn you to stone! -Look at the reflection of her face and figure in the bright mirror of -your shield." - -Perseus now understood Quicksilver's motive for so earnestly exhorting -him to polish his shield. In its surface he could safely look at the -reflection of the Gorgon's face. And there it was,--that terrible -countenance,--mirrored in the brightness of the shield, with the -moonlight 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 savage kind of beauty in it. The eyes were closed, and the Gorgon -was still in a deep slumber; but there was an unquiet expression -disturbing her features, as if the monster was troubled with an ugly -dream. She gnashed her white tusks, and dug into the sand with her -brazen claws. - -The snakes, too, seemed to feel Medusa's dream, and to be made more -restless by it. They twined themselves into tumultuous knots, writhed -fiercely, and uplifted a hundred hissing heads, without opening their -eyes. - -"Now, now!" whispered Quicksilver, who was growing impatient. "Make a -dash at the monster!" - -"But be calm," said the grave, melodious voice, at the young man's side. -"Look in your shield, as you fly downward, and take care that you do not -miss your first stroke." - -Perseus flew cautiously downward, still keeping his eyes on Medusa's -face, as reflected in his shield. The nearer he came, the more terrible -did the snaky visage and metallic body of the monster 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 threateningly upward, and Medusa unclosed -her eyes. But she awoke too late. The sword was sharp; the stroke fell -like a lightning-flash; and the head of the wicked Medusa tumbled from -her body! - -"Admirably done!" cried Quicksilver. "Make haste, and clap the head -into your magic wallet." - -To the astonishment of Perseus, the small, embroidered wallet, which he -had hung about his neck, and which had hitherto been no bigger than a -purse, grew all at once large enough to contain Medusa's head. As quick -as thought, he snatched it up, with the snakes still writhing upon it, -and thrust it in. - -"Your task is done," said the calm voice. "Now fly; for the other -Gorgons will do their utmost to take vengeance for Medusa's death." - -It was, indeed, necessary to take flight; for Perseus had not done the -deed so quietly, but that the clash of his sword, and the hissing of the -snakes, and the thump of Medusa's head as it tumbled upon the sea-beaten -sand, awoke the other two monsters. There they sat, 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, and her golden wings all ruffled, -and half spread out on the sand, it was really awful to hear what yells -and screeches they set up. And then the snakes! They sent forth a -hundred-fold hiss, with one consent, and Medusa's snakes answered them -out of the magic wallet. - -No sooner were the Gorgons broad awake, than they hurtled upward into -the air, brandishing their brass talons, gnashing their horrible tusks, -and flapping their huge wings so wildly, that some of the golden -feathers were shaken out, and floated down upon the shore. And there, -perhaps, those very feathers he scattered, till this day. Up rose 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 not in what -direction to follow him; nor did he fail to make the best use of the -winged slippers, by soaring upward a perpendicular mile or so. At that -height, when the screams of those abominable creatures sounded faintly -beneath him, he made a straight course for the island of Seriphus, in -order to carry Medusa's head to King Polydectes. - -I have no time to tell you of several marvellous things that befell -Perseus, on his way homeward; such as his killing a hideous sea-monster, -just as it was on 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 you doubt this latter story, you may -make a voyage to Africa, some day or other, and see the very mountain, -which is still known by the ancient giant's name. - -Finally, our brave Perseus arrived at the island, where he expected to -see his dear mother. But, during his absence, the wicked king had -treated Danae so very ill, that she was compelled to make her escape, -and had taken refuge in 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 Danae and little Perseus -when he found them afloat in the chest, seem to have been the only -persons on the island who cared about doing right. All the rest of the -people, as well as King Polydectes himself, were remarkably ill-behaved, -and deserved no better destiny than that which was now to happen. - -Not finding his mother at home, Perseus went straight to the palace and -was immediately ushered into the presence of the king. Polydectes was -by no means 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 eaten him up, out of the way. However, seeing him -safely returned, he put the best face he could upon the matter and asked -Perseus how he had succeeded. - -"Have you performed your promise?" inquired he. "Have you brought me -the head of Medusa with the snaky locks? If not, young man, it will -cost you dear; for I must have a bridal present for the beautiful -Princess Hippodamia, and there is nothing else that she would admire so -much." - -"Yes, please your Majesty," answered Perseus, in a quiet way, as if it -were no very wonderful deed for such a young man as he to perform. "I -have brought you the Gorgon's head, snaky locks and all!" - -"Indeed! Pray let me see it," quoth King Polydectes. "It must be a -very curious spectacle, if all that travellers tell about it be true!" - -"Your Majesty is in the right," replied Perseus. "It is really an -object that will be pretty certain to fix the regards of all who 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 summoned to behold -this wonderful curiosity. Few of them, I imagine, have seen a Gorgon's -head before, and perhaps never may again!" - -The king well knew that his subjects were an idle set of reprobates, and -very fond of sight-seeing, as idle persons usually are. So he took the -young man's advice, and sent out heralds and messengers, in all -directions, to blow the trumpet at the street-corners, and in the -market-places, and wherever two roads met, and summon everybody to -court. 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 -such), they stayed quietly at home, minding their own business, and -taking care of their little children. Most of the inhabitants, at all -events, ran as fast as they could to the palace, and shoved, and pushed, -and elbowed one another, in their eagerness to get near a balcony, on -which Perseus showed himself, holding the embroidered wallet in his -hand. - -On a platform, within full view of the balcony, sat the mighty King -Polydectes, amid his evil counsellors, and with his flattering courtiers -in a semicircle round about him. Monarch, counsellors, courtiers, and -subjects, all gazed eagerly towards Perseus. - -"Show us the head! Show us the head!" shouted the people; and there was -a fierceness in their cry as if they would tear Perseus to pieces, -unless he should satisfy them with what he had to show. "Show us the -head of Medusa with the snaky locks!" - -A feeling of sorrow and pity came over the youthful Perseus. - -"O King Polydectes," cried he, "and ye many people, I am very loath to -show you the Gorgon's head!" - -"Ah, the villain and coward!" yelled the people, more fiercely than -before. "He is making game of us! He has no Gorgon's head! Show us -the head, if you have it, or we will take your own head for a football!" - -The evil counsellors whispered bad advice in the king's ear; the -courtiers murmured, with one consent, that Perseus had shown disrespect -to their royal lord and master; and the great King Polydectes himself -waved his hand, and ordered him, with the stern, deep voice of -authority, on his peril, to produce the bead. - -"Show me the Gorgon's head, or I will cut off your own!" - -And Perseus sighed. - -"This instant," repeated Polydectes, "or you die!" - -"Behold it, then!" cried Perseus, in a voice like the blast of a -trumpet. - -And, suddenly holding up the head, not an eyelid had time to wink before -the wicked King Polydectes, his evil counsellors, and all his fierce -subjects were no longer anything 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, they -whitened into marble! And Perseus thrust the head back into his wallet, -and went to tell his dear mother that she need no longer be afraid of -the wicked King Polydectes. - - - -TANGLEWOOD PORCH. - -AFTER THE STORY. - -"Is not that a very fine story?" asked Eustace. - -"O yes, yes!" cried Cowslip, clapping her hands. "And those funny old -women, with only one eye amongst them! I never heard of anything so -strange." - -"As to their one tooth, which they shifted about," observed Primrose, -"there was nothing so very wonderful in that. I suppose it was a false -tooth. But think of your turning Mercury into Quicksilver, and talking -about his sister! You are too ridiculous!" - -"And was she not his sister?" asked Eustace Bright. "If I had thought -of it sooner, I would have described her as a maiden lady, who kept a -pet owl!" - -"Well, at any rate," said Primrose, "your story seems to have driven -away the mist." - -And, indeed, while the tale was going forward, the vapors had been quite -exhaled from the landscape. A scene was now disclosed which the -spectators might almost fancy as having been created since they had last -looked in the direction where it lay. About half a mile distant, in the -lap of the valley, now appeared a beautiful lake, which reflected a -perfect image of its own wooded banks, and of the summits of the more -distant hills. It gleamed in glassy tranquillity, without the trace of -a winged breeze on any part of its bosom. Beyond its farther shore was -Monument Mountain, in a recumbent position, stretching almost across the -valley. Eustace Bright compared it to a huge, headless sphinx, wrapped -in a Persian shawl; and, indeed, so rich and diversified was the -autumnal foliage of its woods, that the simile of the shawl was by no -means too high-colored for the reality. In the lower ground, between -Tanglewood and the lake, the clumps of trees and borders of woodland -were chiefly golden-leaved or dusky brown, as having suffered more from -frost than the foliage on the hillsides. - -Over all this scene there was a genial sunshine, intermingled with a -slight haze, which made it unspeakably soft and tender. O, what a day -of Indian summer was it going to be! The children snatched their -baskets, and set forth, with hop, skip, and jump, and all sorts of -frisks and gambols; while Cousin Eustace proved his fitness to preside -over the party, by outdoing all their antics, and performing several new -capers, which none of them could ever hope to imitate. Behind went a -good old dog, whose name was Ben. He was one of the most respectable -and kind-hearted of quadrupeds, and probably felt it to be his duty not -to trust the children away from their parents without some better -guardian than this feather-brained Eustace Bright. - - - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE GORGON'S HEAD *** -By Nathaniel Hawthorne - -*** This file should be named haw8210.txt or haw8210.zip **** - -Corrected EDITIONS of our etexts get a new NUMBER, haw8211.txt -VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, haw8210a.txt - -This eBook was produced by David Widger [widger@cecomet.net] - -Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US -unless a copyright notice is included. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Gorgon’s Head - -Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne - -Release Date: November, 2005 [EBook #9255] -First Posted: September 25, 2003 -Last Updated: December 15, 2016 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GORGON’S HEAD *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger - - - - - - - - - - A WONDER-BOOK FOR GIRLS AND BOYS - - By Nathaniel Hawthorne - - - THE GORGON’S HEAD - - - - -CONTENTS: - - TANGLEWOOD PORCH--Introductory to “The Gorgon’s Head” - THE GORGON’S HEAD - TANGLEWOOD PORCH--After the Story - - - -The author has long been of opinion that many of the classical myths -were capable of being rendered into very capital reading for children. - -In the little volume here offered to the public, he has worked up half a -dozen of them, with this end in view. A great freedom of treatment was -necessary to his plan; but it will be observed by every one who attempts -to render these legends malleable in his intellectual furnace, that they -are marvellously independent of all temporary modes and circumstances. -They remain essentially the same, after changes that would affect the -identity of almost anything else. - -He does not, therefore, plead guilty to a sacrilege, in having sometimes -shaped anew, as his fancy dictated, the forms that have been hallowed by -an antiquity of two or three thousand years. No epoch of time can claim -a copyright in these immortal fables. They seem never to have been -made; and certainly, so long as man exists, they can never perish; but, -by their indestructibility itself, they are legitimate subjects for -every age to clothe with its own garniture of manners and sentiment, and -to imbue with its own morality. In the present version they may have -lost much of their classical aspect (or, at all events, the author has -not been careful to preserve it), and have, perhaps, assumed a Gothic or -romantic guise. - -In performing this pleasant task,--for it has been really a task fit for -hot weather, and one of the most agreeable, of a literary kind, which he -ever undertook,--the author has not always thought it necessary to write -downward, in order to meet the comprehension of children. He has -generally suffered the theme to soar, whenever such was its tendency, -and when he himself was buoyant enough to follow without an effort. -Children possess an unestimated sensibility to whatever is deep or high, -in imagination or feeling, so long as it is simple, likewise. It is -only the artificial and the complex that bewilder them. - -Lenox, July 15, 1851. - - - - -THE GORGON’S HEAD - -TANGLEWOOD PORCH - -INTRODUCTORY TO “THE GORGON’S HEAD.” - -Beneath the porch of the country-seat called Tanglewood, one fine -autumnal morning, was assembled a merry party of little folks, with a -tall youth in the midst of them. They had planned a nutting expedition, -and were impatiently waiting for the mists to roll up the hill-slopes, -and for the sun to pour the warmth of the Indian summer over the fields -and pastures, and into the nooks of the many-colored woods. There was a -prospect of as fine a day as ever gladdened the aspect of this beautiful -and comfortable world. As yet, however, the morning mist filled up the -whole length and breadth of the valley, above which, on a gently sloping -eminence, the mansion stood. - -This body of white vapor extended to within less than a hundred yards of -the house. It completely hid everything beyond that distance, except a -few ruddy or yellow tree-tops, which here and there emerged, and were -glorified by the early sunshine, as was likewise the broad surface of -the mist. Four or five miles off to the southward rose the summit of -Monument Mountain, and seemed to be floating on a cloud. Some fifteen -miles farther away, in the same direction, appeared the loftier Dome of -Taconic, looking blue and indistinct, and hardly so substantial as the -vapory sea that almost rolled over it. The nearer hills, which bordered -the valley, were half submerged, and were specked with little -cloud-wreaths all the way to their tops. On the whole, there was so much -cloud, and so little solid earth, that it had the effect of a vision. - -The children above-mentioned, being as full of life as they could hold, -kept overflowing from the porch of Tanglewood, and scampering along the -gravel-walk, or rushing across the dewy herbage of the lawn. I can -hardly tell how many of these small people there were; not less than -nine or ten, however, nor more than a dozen, of all sorts, sizes, and -ages, whether girls or boys. They were brothers, sisters, and cousins, -together with a few of their young acquaintances, who had been invited -by Mr. and Mrs. Pringle to spend some of this delightful weather with -their own children, at Tanglewood. I am afraid to tell you their names, -or even to give them any names which other children have ever been -called by; because, to my certain knowledge, authors sometimes get -themselves into great trouble by accidentally giving the names of real -persons to the characters in their books. For this reason, I mean to -call them Primrose, Periwinkle, Sweet Fern, Dandelion, Blue Eye, Clover, -Huckleberry, Cowslip, Squash-blossom, Milkweed, Plantain, and Buttercup; -although, to be sure, such titles might better suit a group of fairies -than a company of earthly children. - -It is not to be supposed that these little folks were to be permitted by -their careful fathers and mothers, uncles, aunts, or grandparents, to -stray abroad into the woods and fields, without the guardianship of some -particularly grave and elderly person. O no, indeed! In the first -sentence of my book, you will recollect that I spoke of a tall youth, -standing in the midst of the children. His name--(and I shall let you -know his real name, because he considers it a great honor to have told -the stories that are here to be printed)--his name was Eustace Bright. -He was a student at Williams College, and had reached, I think, at this -period, the venerable age of eighteen--years; so that he felt quite like -a grandfather towards Periwinkle, Dandelion, Huckleberry, Squash-blossom, -Milkweed, and the rest, who were only half or a third as -venerable as he. A trouble in his eyesight (such as many students think -it necessary to have, nowadays, in order to prove their diligence at -their books) had kept him from college a week or two after the beginning -of the term. But, for my part, I have seldom met with a pair of eyes -that looked as if they could see farther or better than those of Eustace -Bright. - -This learned student was slender, and rather pale, as all Yankee -students are; but yet of a healthy aspect, and as light and active as if -he had wings to his shoes. By the by, being much addicted to wading -through streamlets and across meadows, he had put on cowhide boots for -the expedition. He wore a linen blouse, a cloth cap, and a pair of -green spectacles, which he had assumed, probably, less for the -preservation of his eyes, than for the dignity that they imparted to his -countenance. In either case, however, he might as well have let then -alone; for Huckleberry, a mischievous little elf, crept behind Eustace -as he sat on the steps of the porch, snatched the spectacles from his -nose, and clapped them on her own; and as the student forgot to take -them back, they fell off into the grass, and lay there till the next -spring. - -Now, Eustace Bright, you must know, had won great fame among the -children, as a narrator of wonderful stories; and though he sometimes -pretended to be annoyed, when they teased him for more, and more, and -always for more, yet I really doubt whether he liked anything quite so -well as to tell them. You might have seen his eyes twinkle, therefore, -when Clover, Sweet Fern, Cowslip, Buttercup, and most of their -playmates, besought him to relate one of his stories, while they were -waiting for the mist to clear up. - -“Yes, Cousin Eustace,” said Primrose, who was a bright girl of twelve, -with laughing eyes, and a nose that turned up a little, “the morning is -certainly the best time for the stories with which you so often tire out -our patience. We shall be in less danger of hurting your feelings, by -falling asleep at the most interesting points,--as little Cowslip and I -did last night!” - -“Naughty Primrose,” cried Cowslip, a child of six years old; “I did not -fall asleep, and I only shut my eyes, so as to see a picture of what -Cousin Eustace was telling about. His stories are good to hear at -night, because we can dream about them asleep; and good in the morning, -too, because then we can dream about them awake. So I hope he will tell -us one this very minute.” - -“Thank you, my little Cowslip,” said Eustace; “certainly you shall have -the best story I can think of, if it were only for defending me so well -from that naughty Primrose. But, children, I have already told you so -many fairy tales, that I doubt whether there is a single one which you -have not heard at least twice over. I am afraid you will fall asleep in -reality, if I repeat any of them again.” - -“No, no, no!” cried Blue Eye, Periwinkle, Plantain, and half a dozen -others. “We like a story all the better for having heard it two or -three tunes before.” - -And it is a truth, as regards children, that a story seems often to -deepen its mark in their interest, not merely by two or three, but by -numberless repetitions. But Eustace Bright, in the exuberance of his -resources, scorned to avail himself of an advantage which an older -story-teller would have been glad to grasp at. - -“It would be a great pity,” said he, “if a man of my learning (to say -nothing of original fancy) could not find a new story every day, year in -and year out, for children such as you. I will tell you one of the -nursery tales that were made for the amusement of our great old -grandmother, the Earth, when she was a child in frock and pinafore. -There are a hundred such; and it is a wonder to me that they have not -long ago been put into picture-books for little girls and boys. But, -instead of that, old gray-bearded grandsires pore over them, in musty -volumes of Greek, and puzzle themselves with trying to find out when, -and how, and for what they were made.” - -“Well, well, well, well, Cousin Eustace!” cried all the children at -once; “talk no more about your stories, but begin.” - -“Sit down, then, every soul of you,” said Eustace Bright, “and be all as -still as so many mice. At the slightest interruption, whether from -great, naughty Primrose, little Dandelion, or any other, I shall bite -the story short off between my teeth, and swallow the untold part. But, -in the first place, do any of you know what a Gorgon is?” - -“I do,” said Primrose. - -“Then hold your tongue!” rejoined Eustace, who had rather she would have -known nothing about the matter. “Hold all your tongues, and I shall -tell you a sweet pretty story of a Gorgon’s head.” - -And so he did, as you may begin to read on the next page. Working up -his sophomorical erudition with a good deal of tact, and incurring great -obligations to Professor Anthon, he, nevertheless, disregarded all -classical authorities, whenever the vagrant audacity of his imagination -impelled him to do so. - - - -THE GORGON’S HEAD. - -Perseus was the son of Danae, who was the daughter of a king. And when -Perseus was a very little boy, some wicked people put his mother and -himself 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 -tossed it up and down; while Danae clasped her child closely to her -bosom, and dreaded that some big wave would dash its foamy crest over -them both. The chest sailed on, however, and neither sank nor was -upset; until, when night was coming, it floated so near an island that -it got entangled in a fisherman’s nets, and was drawn out high and dry -upon the sand. The island was called Seriphus, and it was reigned over -by King Polydectes, who happened to be the fisherman’s brother. - -This fisherman, I am glad to tell you, was an exceedingly humane and -upright man. He showed great kindness to Danae and her little boy; and -continued to befriend them, until Perseus had grown to be a handsome -youth, very strong and active, and skilful in the use of arms. Long -before this time, King Polydectes 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 some great mischief to Danae -herself. So this bad-hearted king spent a long while in considering -what was the most dangerous thing that a young man could possibly -undertake to perform. At last, having hit upon an enterprise that -promised to turn out as fatally as he desired, he sent for the youthful -Perseus. - -The young man came to the palace, and found the king sitting upon his -throne. - -“Perseus,” said King Polydectes, smiling craftily upon him, “you are -grown up a fine young man. You and your good mother have received a -great deal of kindness from myself, as well as from my worthy brother -the fisherman, and I suppose you would not be sorry to repay some of -it.” - -“Please your Majesty,” answered Perseus, “I would willingly risk my life -to do so.” - -“Well, then,” continued the king, still with a curving smile on his -lips, “I have a little adventure to propose to you; and, as you are a -brave and enterprising youth, you will doubtless look upon it as a great -piece of good luck to have 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-fetched and elegant -curiosity. I have been a little perplexed, I must honestly confess, -where to obtain anything likely to please a princess of her exquisite -taste. But, this morning, I flatter myself, I have thought of precisely -the article.” - -“And can I assist your Majesty in obtaining it?” cried Perseus, eagerly. - -“You can, if you are as brave a youth as I believe you to be,” replied -King Polydectes, with the utmost graciousness of manner. “The bridal -gift which 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 Perseus, to bring it to me. So, as I am anxious to settle -affairs with the princess, the sooner you go in quest of the Gorgon, the -better I shall be pleased.” - -“I will set out to-morrow morning,” answered Perseus. - -“Pray do so, my gallant youth,” rejoined the king. “And, Perseus, in -cutting off the Gorgon’s head, be careful to make a clean stroke, so as -not to injure its appearance. You must bring it home in the very best -condition, in order to suit the exquisite taste of the beautiful -Princess Hippodamia.” - -Perseus left the palace, but was scarcely out of hearing before -Polydectes burst into a laugh; being greatly amused, wicked king that he -was, to find how readily the young man fell into the snare. The news -quickly spread abroad, that Perseus had undertaken 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 -Danae and her son. The only good man in this unfortunate island of -Seriphus appears to have been the fisherman. As Perseus walked along, -therefore, the people pointed after him, and made mouths, and winked to -one another, and ridiculed him as loudly as they dared. - -“Ho, ho!” cried they; “Medusa’s snakes will sting him soundly!” - -Now, there were three Gorgons alive, at that period; and they were the -most strange and terrible monsters that had ever been since the world -was made, or that have been seen in after days, or that are likely to be -seen in all time to come. I hardly know what sort of creature or -hobgoblin to call them. They were three sisters, and seem to have borne -some distant resemblance to women, but were really 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 Gorgons were terribly long tusks; their hands were made -of brass; and their bodies were all over scales, which, if not iron, -were something as hard and impenetrable. They had wings, too, and -exceedingly splendid ones, I can assure you; for every feather in them -was pure, bright, glittering, burnished gold, and they looked very -dazzlingly, no doubt, when the Gorgons were flying about in the -sunshine. - -But when people happened to catch a glimpse of their glittering -brightness, aloft in the air, they seldom stopped to gaze, but ran and -hid themselves as speedily as they could. You will think, perhaps, that -they were afraid of being stung by the serpents 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 difficult to avoid. For the worst thing about these -abominable Gorgons was, that, if once a poor mortal fixed his eyes full -upon one of their faces, he was certain, that very instant, to be -changed from warm flesh and blood into cold and lifeless stone! - -Thus, as you will easily perceive, it was a very dangerous adventure -that the wicked King Polydectes had contrived for this innocent young -man. Perseus himself, when he had thought over the matter, could not -help seeing that he had very little chance of coming safely through it, -and that he was far more likely to become a stone image than to bring -back the head of Medusa 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 contending. Else, while -his arm was lifted to strike, he would stiffen into stone, and stand -with that uplifted arm for centuries, until time, and the wind and -weather, should crumble him quite away. This would be a very sad thing -to befall a young mail who wanted to perform a great many brave deeds, -and to enjoy a great deal of happiness, in this bright and beautiful -world. - -So disconsolate did these thoughts make him, that Perseus could not bear -to tell his another what he had undertaken to do. He therefore took his -shield, girded on his sword, and crossed over from the island to the -mainland, where he sat down in a solitary place, and hardly refrained -from shedding tears. - -But, while he was in this sorrowful mood, he heard a voice close beside -him. - -“Perseus,” said the voice, “why are you sad?” - -He lifted his head from his hands, in which he had hidden it, and, -behold! all alone as Perseus had supposed himself to be, there was a -stranger in the solitary place. It was a brisk, intelligent, and -remarkably shrewd-looking young man, with a cloak over his shoulders, -an odd sort of cap on his head, a strangely twisted staff in his hand, -and a short and 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 spirits grow livelier, as he gazed at -him. Besides, being really a courageous youth, he felt greatly ashamed -that anybody should have found him with tears in his eyes, like a timid -little school-boy, when, after all, there might be no occasion for -despair. So Perseus wiped his eyes, and answered the stranger pretty -briskly, putting on as brave a look as he could. - -“I am not so very sad,” said he; “only thoughtful about an adventure -that I have undertaken.” - -“Oho!” answered the stranger. “Well, tell me all about it, and possibly -I may be of service to you. I have helped a good many young men through -adventures that looked difficult enough beforehand. Perhaps you may -have heard of me. I have more names than one; but the name of -Quicksilver suits me as well as any other. Tell me what your trouble -is, and we will talk the matter over, and see what can be done.” - -The stranger’s words and manner put Perseus into quite a different mood -from his former one. He resolved to tell Quicksilver all his -difficulties, since he could not easily be worse off than he already -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 Polydeetes wanted the -head of Medusa with the snaky locks as a bridal gift for the beautiful -Princess Hippodamia, and how that he had undertaken to get it for him, -but was afraid of being turned into stone. - -“And that would be a great pity,” said Quicksilver, with his mischievous -smile. “You would make a very handsome marble statue, it is true, and -it would be a considerable number of centuries before you crumbled away; -but, on the whole, one would rather be a young man for a few years, than -a stone image for a great many.” - -“O, far rather!” exclaimed Perseus, with the tears again standing in his -eyes. “And, besides, what would my dear mother do, if her beloved son -were turned into a stone?” - -“Well, well; let us hope that the affair will not turn out so very -badly,” replied Quicksilver, in an encouraging tone. “I am the very -person to help you, if anybody can. My sister and myself will do our -utmost to bring you safe through the adventure, ugly as it now looks.” - -“Your sister?” repeated Perseus. - -“Yes, my sister,” said the stranger. “She is very wise, I promise you; -and as for myself, I generally have all my wits about me, such as they -are. If you show yourself bold and cautious, and follow our advice, you -need not fear being a stone image yet awhile. But, first of all, you -must polish your shield, till you can see your face in it as distinctly -as in a mirror.” - -This seemed to Perseus rather an odd beginning of the adventure; for he -thought it of far more consequence that the shield should be strong -enough to defend him from the Gorgon’s brazen claws, than that it should -be bright 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 shone like the moon at harvest-time. Quicksilver -looked at it with a smile, and nodded his approbation. Then, taking off -his own short and crooked sword, he girded it about Perseus, instead of -the one which he had before worn. - -“No sword but mine will answer your purpose,” observed he; “the blade -has a most excellent temper, and will cut through iron and brass as -easily as through the slenderest twig. And now we will set out. The -next thing is to find the Three Gray Women, who will tell us where to -find the Nymphs.” - -“The Three Gray Women!” cried Perseus, to whom this seemed only a new -difficulty in the path of his adventure; “pray, who may the Three Gray -Women be? I never heard of them before.” - -“They are three very strange old ladies,” said Quicksilver, laughing. -“They have but one eye among them, and only one tooth. Moreover, you -must find them out by starlight, or in the dusk of the evening; for they -never show themselves by the light either of the sun or moon.” - -“But,” said Perseus, “why should I waste my time with these Three Gray -Women? Would it not be better to set out at once in search of the -terrible Gorgons?” - -“No, no,” answered his friend. “There are other things to be done, -before you can find your way to the Gorgons. There is nothing for it -but to hunt up these old ladies; and when we meet with them, you may be -sure that the Gorgons are not a great way off. Come, let us be -stirring!” - -Perseus, by this time, felt so much confidence in his companion’s -sagacity, that he made no more objections, and professed himself ready -to begin the adventure immediately. They accordingly set out, and -walked at a pretty brisk pace; so brisk, indeed, that Perseus found it -rather difficult to keep up with his 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; although, if he -turned a full gaze, there were no such things to be perceived, but only -an odd kind of cap. But, at all events, the twisted staff was evidently -a great convenience to Quicksilver, and enabled him to proceed so fast, -that Perseus, though a remarkably active young man, began to be out of -breath. - -“Here!” cried Quicksilver, at last,--for he knew well enough, rogue that -he was, how hard Perseus found it to keep pace with him,--“take you the -staff, for you need it a great deal more than I. Are there no better -walkers than yourself, in the island of Seriphus?” - -“I could walk pretty well,” said Perseus, glancing slyly at his -companion’s feet, “if I had only a pair of winged shoes.” - -“We must see about getting you a pair,” answered Quicksilver. - -But the staff helped Perseus along so bravely, that he no longer felt -the slightest weariness. In fact, the stick seemed to be alive in his -hand, and to lend some of its life to Perseus. He and Quicksilver now -walked onward 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 wonderful person. He evidently knew the -world; and nobody is so charming to a young man as a friend who has that -kind of knowledge. Perseus listened the more eagerly, in the hope of -brightening his own wits by what he heard. - -At last, he happened to recollect that Quicksilver had spoken of a -sister, who was to lend her assistance in the adventure which they were -now bound upon. - -“Where is she?” he inquired. “Shall we not meet her soon?” - -“All at the proper time,” said his companion. “But this sister of mine, -you must understand, is quite a different sort of character from myself. -She is very grave and prudent, seldom smiles, never laughs, and makes it -a rule not to utter a word unless she has something particularly -profound to say. Neither will she listen to any but the wisest -conversation.” - -“Dear me!” ejaculated Perseus; “I shall be afraid to say a syllable.” - -“She is a very accomplished person, I assure you,” continued -Quicksilver, “and has all the arts and sciences at her fingers’ ends. -In short, she is so immoderately 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 her so pleasant a -travelling companion as myself. She has her good points, nevertheless; -and you will find the benefit of them, in your encounter with the -Gorgons.” - -By this time it had grown quite dusk. They were now come to a very wild -and desert place, overgrown with shaggy bushes, and so silent and -solitary that nobody seemed ever to have dwelt or journeyed there. All -was waste and desolate, in the gray twilight, which grew every moment -more obscure. Perseus looked about him, rather disconsolately, and -asked Quicksilver whether they had a great deal farther to go. - -“Hist! Hist!” whispered his companion. “Make no noise! This is just -the time and place to meet the Three Gray Women. Be careful that they -do not see you before you see them; for, though they have but a single -eye among the three, it is as sharp-sighted as half a dozen common -eyes.” - -“But what must I do,” asked Perseus, “when we meet them?” - -Quicksilver explained to Perseus how the Three Gray Women managed with -their one eye. They were in the habit, it seems, of changing it from -one to another, as if it had been a pair of spectacles, or--which would -have suited them better--quizzing-glass. When one of the three had kept -the eye a certain time, she took it 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, at the instant when the eye was passing from hand to -hand, neither of the poor old ladies was able to see a wink. I have -heard of a great many strange things, in my day, and have witnessed not -a few; but none, it seems to me, that can compare with the oddity of -these Three Gray Women, all peeping through a single eye. - -So thought Perseus, likewise, and was so astonished that he almost -fancied his companion was joking with him, and that there were no such -old women in the world. - -“You will soon find whether I tell the truth or no,” observed -Quicksilver. “Hark! hush! Hist! hist! There they come, now!” - -Perseus looked earnestly through the dusk of the evening, and there, -sure enough, at no great distance off, he descried the Three Gray Women. -The light being so faint, he could not well make out what sort of -figures they were; only he discovered that they had long 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 diamond in a ring; and so penetrating -did it seem to be, that Perseus could not help thinking it must possess -the gift of seeing in the darkest midnight just as perfectly as at -noonday. The sight of three persons’ eyes was melted and collected into -that single one. - -Thus the three old dames got along about as comfortably, upon the whole, -as if they could all see at once. She who chanced to have the eye in -her forehead 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 clump of bushes behind which he and Quicksilver had -hidden themselves. My stars! it was positively terrible to be within -reach of so very sharp an eye! - -But, before they reached the clump of bushes, one of the Three Gray -Women spoke. - -“Sister! Sister Scarecrow!” cried she, “you have had the eye long -enough. It is my turn now!” - -“Let me keep it a moment longer, Sister Nightmare,” answered Scarecrow. -“I thought I had a glimpse of something behind that thick bush.” - -“Well, and what of that?” retorted Nightmare, peevishly. “Can’t I see -into a thick bush as easily as yourself? The eye is mine, as well as -yours; and I know the use of it as well as you, or may be a little -better. I insist upon taking a peep immediately!” - -But here the third sister, whose name was Shakejoint, began to complain, -and said that it was her turn to have the eye, and that Scarecrow and -Nightmare wanted to keep it all to themselves. To end the dispute, old -Dame Scarecrow took the eye out of her forehead, and held it forth in -her hand. - -“Take it, one of you,” cried she, “and quit this foolish quarrelling. -For my part, I shall be glad of a little thick darkness. Take it -quickly, however, or I must clap it into my own head again!” - -Accordingly, both Nightmare and Shakejoint stretched out their hands, -groping eagerly to snatch the eye out of the hand of Scarecrow. But, -being both alike blind, they could not easily find where Scarecrow’s -hand was; and Scarecrow, being now 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 into a -strange perplexity. For, though the eye shone and glistened like a -star, as Scarecrow held it out, yet the Gray Women caught not the least -glimpse of its light, and were all three in utter darkness, from too -impatient a desire to see. - -Quicksilver was so much tickled at beholding Shakejoint and Nightmare -both groping for the eye, and each finding fault with Scarecrow and one -another, that he could scarcely help laughing aloud. - -“Now is your time!” he whispered to Perseus. - -“Quick, quick! before they can clap the eye into either of their heads. -Rush out upon the old ladies, and snatch it from Scarecrow’s hand!” - -In an instant, while the Three Gray Women were still scolding each -other, Perseus leaped front behind the clump of bushes, and made himself -master of the prize. The marvellous eye, as he held it in his hand, -shone very brightly, and seemed 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 one of her -sisters was in possession of the eye, they began their quarrel anew. At -last, as Perseus did not wish to put these respectable dames to greater -inconvenience than was really necessary, he thought it right to explain -the matter. “My good ladies,” said he, “pray do not be angry with one -another. If anybody is in fault, it is myself; for I have the honor to -hold your very brilliant and excellent eye in my own hand!” - -“You! you have our eye! And who are you?” screamed the Three Gray -Women, all in a breath; for they were terribly frightened, of course, at -hearing a strange voice, and discovering that their eyesight had got -into the hands of they could not guess whom. “O, what shall we do, -sisters? what shall we do? We are all in the dark! Give us our eye! -Give us our one, precious, solitary eye! You have two of your own Give -us our eye!” - -“Tell them,” whispered Quicksilver to Perseus, “that they shall have -back the eye as soon as they direct you where to find the Nymphs who -have the flying slippers, the magic wallet, and the helmet of darkness.” - -“My dear, good, admirable old ladies,” said Perseus, addressing the Gray -Women, “there is no occasion for putting yourselves into such a fright. -I am by no means a bad young man. You shall have back your eye, safe -and sound, and as bright as ever, the moment you tell me where to find -the Nymphs.” - -“The Nymphs! Goodness me! sisters, what Nymphs does he mean?” screamed -Scarecrow. “There are a great many Nymphs, people say; some that go a -hunting in the woods, and some 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 go wandering about -in the dusk, and never had but one eye amongst us, and that one you have -stolen away. O, give it back, good stranger!--whoever you are, give it -back!” - -All this while the Three Gray Women were groping with their outstretched -hands, and trying their utmost to get hold of Perseus. But he took good -care to keep out of their reach. - -“My respectable dames,” said he,--for his mother had taught him always -to use the greatest civility,--“I hold your eye fast in my hand, and -shall keep it safely for you, until you please to tell me where to find -these Nymphs. The Nymphs, I mean, who keep the enchanted wallet, the -flying slippers, and the what is it?--the helmet of invisibility.” - -“Mercy on us, sisters! what is the young man talking about?” exclaimed -Scarecrow, Nightmare, and Shakejoint, one to another, with great -appearance of astonishment. “A pair of flying slippers, quoth he! His -heels would quickly fly higher than his head, if he were 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 wonder? -No, no, good stranger! we can tell you nothing of these marvellous -things. You have two eyes of your own, and we have but a single one -amongst us three. You can find out such wonders better than three blind -old creatures, like us.” - -Perseus, hearing them talk in this way, began really to think that the -Gray Women knew nothing of the matter; and, as it grieved him to have -put them to so much trouble, he was just on the point of restoring their -eye and asking pardon for his rudeness in snatching it away. But -Quicksilver caught his hand. - -“Don’t let them make a fool of you!” said he. “These Three Gray Women -are the only persons in the world that can tell you where to find the -Nymphs; and, unless you get that information, you will never succeed in -cutting off the head of Medusa with the snaky locks. Keep fast hold of -the eye, and all will go well.” - -As it turned out, Quicksilver was in the right. There are but few -things that people prize so much as they do their eyesight; and the Gray -Women valued their single eye as highly as if it had been half a dozen, -which was the number they ought to have had. Finding 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 for their kindness, and bade them farewell. -Before the young man was out of hearing, however, they had got into a -new dispute, because he happened to have given the eye to Scarecrow, who -had already taken her turn of it when their trouble with Perseus -commenced. - - -It is greatly to be feared that the Three Gray Women were very much in -the habit of disturbing their mutual harmony by bickerings of this sort; -which was the more pity, 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, whether sisters or brothers, -old or young, who chance to have but one eye amongst them, to cultivate -forbearance, and not all insist upon peeping through it at once. - -Quicksilver and Perseus, in the mean time, were making the best of their -way in quest of the Nymphs. The old dames had given them such -particular directions, that they were not long in finding them out. -They proved to be very different persons from Nightmare Shakejoint, and -Scarecrow; for, instead of being old, they were young and beautiful; 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 that were in their -custody. In the first place, they brought out what appeared to be a -small purse, made of deer-skin, and curiously embroidered, and bade him -be sure and keep it safe. This was the magic wallet. The Nymphs next -produced a pair of shoes, or slippers, or sandals, with a nice little -pair of wings at the heel of each. - -“Put them on, Perseus,” said Quicksilver. “You will find yourself as -light-heeled as you can desire, for the remainder of our journey.” - -So Perseus proceeded to put one of the slippers on, while he laid the -other on the ground by his side. Unexpectedly, however, this other -slipper spread its wings, fluttered up off the ground, and would -probably have flown away, if Quicksilver had not made a leap, and -luckily caught it in the air. - -“Be more careful,” said he, as he gave it back to Perseus. “It would -frighten the birds, up aloft, if they should see a flying slipper -amongst them.” - -When Perseus had got on both of these wonderful slippers, he was -altogether too buoyant to tread on earth. Making a step or two, lo and -behold! upward he popt into the air, high above the 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 grows a little accustomed to -them. Quicksilver laughed at his companion’s involuntary activity, and -told him that he must not be in so desperate a hurry, but must wait for -the invisible helmet. - -The good-natured Nymphs had the helmet, with its dark tuft of waving -plumes, all in readiness to put upon his head. And now there happened -about as wonderful an incident as anything that I have yet told you. -The instant before 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, sprightliness, and glorious -light. But when the helmet had descended over his white brow, there was -no longer any Perseus to be seen! Nothing but empty air! Even the -helmet, that covered him with its invisibility, had vanished! - -“Where are you, Perseus?” asked Quicksilver. - -“Why, here, to be sure!” answered Perseus, very quietly, although his -voice seemed to come out of the transparent atmosphere. “Just where I -was a moment ago. Don’t you see me?” - -“No, indeed!” answered his friend. “You are hidden under the helmet. -But, if I cannot see you, neither can the Gorgons. Follow me, -therefore, and we will try your dexterity in using the winged slippers.” - -With these words, Quicksilver’s cap spread its wings, as if his head -were about to fly away from his shoulders; but his whole figure rose -lightly into the air, and Perseus followed. By the time they had -ascended a few hundred feet, the young man began to feel what a -delightful thing it was to leave the dull earth so far beneath him, and -to be able to flit about like a bird. - -It was now deep night. Perseus looked upward, and saw the round, -bright, silvery moon, and thought that he should desire nothing better -than to soar up thither, and spend his life there. Then he looked -downward again, and saw the earth, with its seas, and lakes, and the -silver courses of its rivers, and its snowy mountain-peaks, and the -breadth of its fields, and the dark cluster of its woods, and 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 Seriplius, 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 chilled and moistened with gray mist. So -swift was their flight, however, that, in an instant, they emerged from -the cloud into the moonlight again. Once, a high-soaring eagle flew -right against the invisible Perseus. The bravest sights were the -meteors, that gleamed suddenly out, as if a bonfire had been kindled in -the sky, and made the moonshine pale for as much as a hundred miles -around them. - -As the two companions flew onward, Perseus fancied that he could hear -the rustle of a garment close by his side; and it was on the side -opposite to the one where he beheld Quicksilver, yet only Quicksilver -was visible. - -“Whose garment is this,” inquired Perseus, “that keeps rustling close -beside me, in the breeze?” - -“O, it is my sister’s!” answered Quicksilver. “She is coming along -with us, as I told you she would. We could do nothing without 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 moment, just as distinctly as if you -were not invisible; and I’ll venture to say, she will be the first to -discover the Gorgons.” - -By this time, in their swift voyage through the air, they had come -within sight of the great ocean, and were soon flying over it. Far -beneath them, the waves tossed themselves tumultuously in mid-sea, or -rolled 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, before it reached the ears of Perseus. Just then a voice spoke -in the air close by him. It seemed to be a woman’s voice, and was -melodious, though not exactly what might be called sweet, but grave and -mild. - -“Perseus,” said the voice, “there are the Gorgons.” - -“Where?” exclaimed Perseus. “I cannot see them.” - -“On the shore of that island beneath you,” replied the voice. “A -pebble, dropped from your hand, would strike in the midst of them.” - -“I told you she would be the first to discover them,” said Quicksilver -to Perseus. “And there they are!” - -Straight downward, two or three thousand feet below him, Perseus -perceived a small island, with the sea breaking into white foam all -around its rocky shore, except on one side, where there was a beach of -snowy sand. He descended towards it, and, looking earnestly at a -cluster or heap of brightness, at the foot of a precipice of black -rocks, behold, there were the 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 clutched the wave-beaten fragments of -rock, while the sleeping Gorgons dreamed of tearing some poor mortal all -to pieces. The snakes that served them instead of hair seemed likewise -to be asleep; although, now and then, one would writhe, and lift its -head, and thrust out its forked tongue, emitting a drowsy hiss, and then -let itself subside among its sister snakes. - -The Gorgons were more like an awful, gigantic kind of insect,--immense, -golden-winged beetles, or dragon-flies, or things of that sort,--at once -ugly and beautiful,--than like anything 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 completely hidden from him by the posture in which they lay; -for, had he but looked one instant at them, he would have fallen heavily -out of the air, an image of senseless stone. - -“Now,” whispered Quicksilver, as he hovered by the side of Perseus,--“now -is your time to do the deed! Be quick; for, if one of the Gorgons -should awake, you are too late!” - -“Which shall I strike at?” asked Perseus, drawing his sword and -descending a little lower. “They all three look alike. All three have -snaky locks. Which of the three is Medusa?” - -It must be understood that Medusa was the only one of these dragon-monsters -whose head Perseus could possibly cut off. As for the other -two, let him have the sharpest sword that ever was forged, and he might -have hacked away by the hour together, without doing there the least -harm. - -“Be cautious,” said the calm voice which had before spoken to him. “One -of the Gorgons is stirring in her sleep, and is just about to turn over. -That is Medusa. Do not look at her! The sight would turn you to stone! -Look at the reflection of her face and figure in the bright mirror of -your shield.” - -Perseus now understood Quicksilver’s motive for so earnestly exhorting -him to polish his shield. In its surface he could safely look at the -reflection of the Gorgon’s face. And there it was,--that terrible -countenance,--mirrored in the brightness of the shield, with the -moonlight 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 savage kind of beauty in it. The eyes were closed, and the Gorgon -was still in a deep slumber; but there was an unquiet expression -disturbing her features, as if the monster was troubled with an ugly -dream. She gnashed her white tusks, and dug into the sand with her -brazen claws. - -The snakes, too, seemed to feel Medusa’s dream, and to be made more -restless by it. They twined themselves into tumultuous knots, writhed -fiercely, and uplifted a hundred hissing heads, without opening their -eyes. - -“Now, now!” whispered Quicksilver, who was growing impatient. “Make a -dash at the monster!” - -“But be calm,” said the grave, melodious voice, at the young man’s side. -“Look in your shield, as you fly downward, and take care that you do not -miss your first stroke.” - -Perseus flew cautiously downward, still keeping his eyes on Medusa’s -face, as reflected in his shield. The nearer he came, the more terrible -did the snaky visage and metallic body of the monster 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 threateningly upward, and Medusa unclosed -her eyes. But she awoke too late. The sword was sharp; the stroke fell -like a lightning-flash; and the head of the wicked Medusa tumbled from -her body! - -“Admirably done!” cried Quicksilver. “Make haste, and clap the head -into your magic wallet.” - -To the astonishment of Perseus, the small, embroidered wallet, which he -had hung about his neck, and which had hitherto been no bigger than a -purse, grew all at once large enough to contain Medusa’s head. As quick -as thought, he snatched it up, with the snakes still writhing upon it, -and thrust it in. - -“Your task is done,” said the calm voice. “Now fly; for the other -Gorgons will do their utmost to take vengeance for Medusa’s death.” - -It was, indeed, necessary to take flight; for Perseus had not done the -deed so quietly, but that the clash of his sword, and the hissing of the -snakes, and the thump of Medusa’s head as it tumbled upon the sea-beaten -sand, awoke the other two monsters. There they sat, 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, and her golden wings all ruffled, -and half spread out on the sand, it was really awful to hear what yells -and screeches they set up. And then the snakes! They sent forth a -hundred-fold hiss, with one consent, and Medusa’s snakes answered them -out of the magic wallet. - -No sooner were the Gorgons broad awake, than they hurtled upward into -the air, brandishing their brass talons, gnashing their horrible tusks, -and flapping their huge wings so wildly, that some of the golden -feathers were shaken out, and floated down upon the shore. And there, -perhaps, those very feathers he scattered, till this day. Up rose 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 not in what -direction to follow him; nor did he fail to make the best use of the -winged slippers, by soaring upward a perpendicular mile or so. At that -height, when the screams of those abominable creatures sounded faintly -beneath him, he made a straight course for the island of Seriphus, in -order to carry Medusa’s head to King Polydectes. - -I have no time to tell you of several marvellous things that befell -Perseus, on his way homeward; such as his killing a hideous sea-monster, -just as it was on 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 you doubt this latter story, you may -make a voyage to Africa, some day or other, and see the very mountain, -which is still known by the ancient giant’s name. - -Finally, our brave Perseus arrived at the island, where he expected to -see his dear mother. But, during his absence, the wicked king had -treated Danae so very ill, that she was compelled to make her escape, -and had taken refuge in 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 Danae and little Perseus -when he found them afloat in the chest, seem to have been the only -persons on the island who cared about doing right. All the rest of the -people, as well as King Polydectes himself, were remarkably ill-behaved, -and deserved no better destiny than that which was now to happen. - -Not finding his mother at home, Perseus went straight to the palace and -was immediately ushered into the presence of the king. Polydectes was -by no means 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 eaten him up, out of the way. However, seeing him -safely returned, he put the best face he could upon the matter and asked -Perseus how he had succeeded. - -“Have you performed your promise?” inquired he. “Have you brought me -the head of Medusa with the snaky locks? If not, young man, it will -cost you dear; for I must have a bridal present for the beautiful -Princess Hippodamia, and there is nothing else that she would admire so -much.” - -“Yes, please your Majesty,” answered Perseus, in a quiet way, as if it -were no very wonderful deed for such a young man as he to perform. “I -have brought you the Gorgon’s head, snaky locks and all!” - -“Indeed! Pray let me see it,” quoth King Polydectes. “It must be a -very curious spectacle, if all that travellers tell about it be true!” - -“Your Majesty is in the right,” replied Perseus. “It is really an -object that will be pretty certain to fix the regards of all who 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 summoned to behold -this wonderful curiosity. Few of them, I imagine, have seen a Gorgon’s -head before, and perhaps never may again!” - -The king well knew that his subjects were an idle set of reprobates, and -very fond of sight-seeing, as idle persons usually are. So he took the -young man’s advice, and sent out heralds and messengers, in all -directions, to blow the trumpet at the street-corners, and in the -market-places, and wherever two roads met, and summon everybody to -court. 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 -such), they stayed quietly at home, minding their own business, and -taking care of their little children. Most of the inhabitants, at all -events, ran as fast as they could to the palace, and shoved, and pushed, -and elbowed one another, in their eagerness to get near a balcony, on -which Perseus showed himself, holding the embroidered wallet in his -hand. - -On a platform, within full view of the balcony, sat the mighty King -Polydectes, amid his evil counsellors, and with his flattering courtiers -in a semicircle round about him. Monarch, counsellors, courtiers, and -subjects, all gazed eagerly towards Perseus. - -“Show us the head! Show us the head!” shouted the people; and there was -a fierceness in their cry as if they would tear Perseus to pieces, -unless he should satisfy them with what he had to show. “Show us the -head of Medusa with the snaky locks!” - -A feeling of sorrow and pity came over the youthful Perseus. - -“O King Polydectes,” cried he, “and ye many people, I am very loath to -show you the Gorgon’s head!” - -“Ah, the villain and coward!” yelled the people, more fiercely than -before. “He is making game of us! He has no Gorgon’s head! Show us -the head, if you have it, or we will take your own head for a football!” - -The evil counsellors whispered bad advice in the king’s ear; the -courtiers murmured, with one consent, that Perseus had shown disrespect -to their royal lord and master; and the great King Polydectes himself -waved his hand, and ordered him, with the stern, deep voice of -authority, on his peril, to produce the bead. - -“Show me the Gorgon’s head, or I will cut off your own!” - -And Perseus sighed. - -“This instant,” repeated Polydectes, “or you die!” - -“Behold it, then!” cried Perseus, in a voice like the blast of a -trumpet. - -And, suddenly holding up the head, not an eyelid had time to wink before -the wicked King Polydectes, his evil counsellors, and all his fierce -subjects were no longer anything 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, they -whitened into marble! And Perseus thrust the head back into his wallet, -and went to tell his dear mother that she need no longer be afraid of -the wicked King Polydectes. - - - -TANGLEWOOD PORCH. - -AFTER THE STORY. - -“Is not that a very fine story?” asked Eustace. - -“O yes, yes!” cried Cowslip, clapping her hands. “And those funny old -women, with only one eye amongst them! I never heard of anything so -strange.” - -“As to their one tooth, which they shifted about,” observed Primrose, -“there was nothing so very wonderful in that. I suppose it was a false -tooth. But think of your turning Mercury into Quicksilver, and talking -about his sister! You are too ridiculous!” - -“And was she not his sister?” asked Eustace Bright. “If I had thought -of it sooner, I would have described her as a maiden lady, who kept a -pet owl!” - -“Well, at any rate,” said Primrose, “your story seems to have driven -away the mist.” - -And, indeed, while the tale was going forward, the vapors had been quite -exhaled from the landscape. A scene was now disclosed which the -spectators might almost fancy as having been created since they had last -looked in the direction where it lay. About half a mile distant, in the -lap of the valley, now appeared a beautiful lake, which reflected a -perfect image of its own wooded banks, and of the summits of the more -distant hills. It gleamed in glassy tranquillity, without the trace of -a winged breeze on any part of its bosom. Beyond its farther shore was -Monument Mountain, in a recumbent position, stretching almost across the -valley. Eustace Bright compared it to a huge, headless sphinx, wrapped -in a Persian shawl; and, indeed, so rich and diversified was the -autumnal foliage of its woods, that the simile of the shawl was by no -means too high-colored for the reality. In the lower ground, between -Tanglewood and the lake, the clumps of trees and borders of woodland -were chiefly golden-leaved or dusky brown, as having suffered more from -frost than the foliage on the hillsides. - -Over all this scene there was a genial sunshine, intermingled with a -slight haze, which made it unspeakably soft and tender. O, what a day -of Indian summer was it going to be! The children snatched their -baskets, and set forth, with hop, skip, and jump, and all sorts of -frisks and gambols; while Cousin Eustace proved his fitness to preside -over the party, by outdoing all their antics, and performing several new -capers, which none of them could ever hope to imitate. Behind went a -good old dog, whose name was Ben. He was one of the most respectable -and kind-hearted of quadrupeds, and probably felt it to be his duty not -to trust the children away from their parents without some better -guardian than this feather-brained Eustace Bright. - - - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg’s The Gorgon’s Head, by Nathaniel Hawthorne - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GORGON’S HEAD *** - -***** This file should be named 9255-0.txt or 9255-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - https://www.gutenberg.org/9/2/5/9255/ - -Produced by David Widger - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - https://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/old/old-2025-02-21/9255-0.zip b/old/old-2025-02-21/9255-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 12142e7..0000000 --- a/old/old-2025-02-21/9255-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/old-2025-02-21/9255-h.zip b/old/old-2025-02-21/9255-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 994dd3c..0000000 --- a/old/old-2025-02-21/9255-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/old-2025-02-21/9255-h/9255-h.htm b/old/old-2025-02-21/9255-h/9255-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 077f327..0000000 --- a/old/old-2025-02-21/9255-h/9255-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1708 +0,0 @@ -<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> - -<!DOCTYPE html - PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" > - -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> - <head> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg E-text of The Gorgon's Head, by Nathaniel Hawthorne - </title> - <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve"> - - body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify} - P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; } - H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; } - hr { width: 50%; text-align: center;} - .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; } - blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} - .mynote {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;} - .toc { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;} - .toc2 { margin-left: 20%;} - div.fig { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; } - div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; } - .figleft {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;} - .figright {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;} - .pagenum {display:inline; font-size: 70%; font-style:normal; - margin: 0; padding: 0; position: absolute; right: 1%; - text-align: right;} - pre { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;} - -</style> - </head> - <body> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Gorgon's Head, by Nathaniel Hawthorne - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Gorgon's Head - -Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne - - -Release Date: November, 2005 [EBook #9255] -First Posted: September 25, 2003 -Last Updated: December 15, 2016 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GORGON'S HEAD *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger and Al Haines - - - - - -</pre> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <h4> - A WONDER-BOOK FOR GIRLS AND BOYS<br /> - </h4> - <h3> - By Nathaniel Hawthorne<br /> - </h3> - <p> - <br /> - </p> - <h2> - THE GORGON’S HEAD<br /> - </h2> - <p> - <br /><br /><br /> - </p> - <p class="noindent"> - CONTENTS: <br /><br /> <a href="#porch">TANGLEWOOD PORCH—Introductory - to “The Gorgon’s Head"</a><br /> <a href="#gorgon">THE GORGON’S HEAD</a><br /> - <a href="#after">TANGLEWOOD PORCH—After the Story</a><br /> - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <p> - The author has long been of opinion that many of the classical myths were - capable of being rendered into very capital reading for children. - </p> - <p> - In the little volume here offered to the public, he has worked up half a - dozen of them, with this end in view. A great freedom of treatment was - necessary to his plan; but it will be observed by every one who attempts - to render these legends malleable in his intellectual furnace, that they - are marvellously independent of all temporary modes and circumstances. - They remain essentially the same, after changes that would affect the - identity of almost anything else. - </p> - <p> - He does not, therefore, plead guilty to a sacrilege, in having sometimes - shaped anew, as his fancy dictated, the forms that have been hallowed by - an antiquity of two or three thousand years. No epoch of time can claim a - copyright in these immortal fables. They seem never to have been made; and - certainly, so long as man exists, they can never perish; but, by their - indestructibility itself, they are legitimate subjects for every age to - clothe with its own garniture of manners and sentiment, and to imbue with - its own morality. In the present version they may have lost much of their - classical aspect (or, at all events, the author has not been careful to - preserve it), and have, perhaps, assumed a Gothic or romantic guise. - </p> - <p> - In performing this pleasant task,—for it has been really a task fit - for hot weather, and one of the most agreeable, of a literary kind, which - he ever undertook,—the author has not always thought it necessary to - write downward, in order to meet the comprehension of children. He has - generally suffered the theme to soar, whenever such was its tendency, and - when he himself was buoyant enough to follow without an effort. Children - possess an unestimated sensibility to whatever is deep or high, in - imagination or feeling, so long as it is simple, likewise. It is only the - artificial and the complex that bewilder them. - </p> - <p class="noindent"> - Lenox, July 15, 1851. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /><br /> <a name="porch"></a> - </p> - <h4> - THE GORGON’S HEAD - </h4> - <h3> - TANGLEWOOD PORCH - </h3> - <h4> - INTRODUCTORY TO “THE GORGON’S HEAD.” - </h4> - <p> - Beneath the porch of the country-seat called Tanglewood, one fine autumnal - morning, was assembled a merry party of little folks, with a tall youth in - the midst of them. They had planned a nutting expedition, and were - impatiently waiting for the mists to roll up the hill-slopes, and for the - sun to pour the warmth of the Indian summer over the fields and pastures, - and into the nooks of the many-colored woods. There was a prospect of as - fine a day as ever gladdened the aspect of this beautiful and comfortable - world. As yet, however, the morning mist filled up the whole length and - breadth of the valley, above which, on a gently sloping eminence, the - mansion stood. - </p> - <p> - This body of white vapor extended to within less than a hundred yards of - the house. It completely hid everything beyond that distance, except a few - ruddy or yellow tree-tops, which here and there emerged, and were - glorified by the early sunshine, as was likewise the broad surface of the - mist. Four or five miles off to the southward rose the summit of Monument - Mountain, and seemed to be floating on a cloud. Some fifteen miles farther - away, in the same direction, appeared the loftier Dome of Taconic, looking - blue and indistinct, and hardly so substantial as the vapory sea that - almost rolled over it. The nearer hills, which bordered the valley, were - half submerged, and were specked with little cloud-wreaths all the way to - their tops. On the whole, there was so much cloud, and so little solid - earth, that it had the effect of a vision. - </p> - <p> - The children above-mentioned, being as full of life as they could hold, - kept overflowing from the porch of Tanglewood, and scampering along the - gravel-walk, or rushing across the dewy herbage of the lawn. I can hardly - tell how many of these small people there were; not less than nine or ten, - however, nor more than a dozen, of all sorts, sizes, and ages, whether - girls or boys. They were brothers, sisters, and cousins, together with a - few of their young acquaintances, who had been invited by Mr. and Mrs. - Pringle to spend some of this delightful weather with their own children, - at Tanglewood. I am afraid to tell you their names, or even to give them - any names which other children have ever been called by; because, to my - certain knowledge, authors sometimes get themselves into great trouble by - accidentally giving the names of real persons to the characters in their - books. For this reason, I mean to call them Primrose, Periwinkle, Sweet - Fern, Dandelion, Blue Eye, Clover, Huckleberry, Cowslip, Squash-blossom, - Milkweed, Plantain, and Buttercup; although, to be sure, such titles might - better suit a group of fairies than a company of earthly children. - </p> - <p> - It is not to be supposed that these little folks were to be permitted by - their careful fathers and mothers, uncles, aunts, or grandparents, to - stray abroad into the woods and fields, without the guardianship of some - particularly grave and elderly person. O no, indeed! In the first sentence - of my book, you will recollect that I spoke of a tall youth, standing in - the midst of the children. His name—(and I shall let you know his - real name, because he considers it a great honor to have told the stories - that are here to be printed)—his name was Eustace Bright. He was a - student at Williams College, and had reached, I think, at this period, the - venerable age of eighteen—years; so that he felt quite like a - grandfather towards Periwinkle, Dandelion, Huckleberry, Squash-blossom, - Milkweed, and the rest, who were only half or a third as venerable as he. - A trouble in his eyesight (such as many students think it necessary to - have, nowadays, in order to prove their diligence at their books) had kept - him from college a week or two after the beginning of the term. But, for - my part, I have seldom met with a pair of eyes that looked as if they - could see farther or better than those of Eustace Bright. - </p> - <p> - This learned student was slender, and rather pale, as all Yankee students - are; but yet of a healthy aspect, and as light and active as if he had - wings to his shoes. By the by, being much addicted to wading through - streamlets and across meadows, he had put on cowhide boots for the - expedition. He wore a linen blouse, a cloth cap, and a pair of green - spectacles, which he had assumed, probably, less for the preservation of - his eyes, than for the dignity that they imparted to his countenance. In - either case, however, he might as well have let then alone; for - Huckleberry, a mischievous little elf, crept behind Eustace as he sat on - the steps of the porch, snatched the spectacles from his nose, and clapped - them on her own; and as the student forgot to take them back, they fell - off into the grass, and lay there till the next spring. - </p> - <p> - Now, Eustace Bright, you must know, had won great fame among the children, - as a narrator of wonderful stories; and though he sometimes pretended to - be annoyed, when they teased him for more, and more, and always for more, - yet I really doubt whether he liked anything quite so well as to tell - them. You might have seen his eyes twinkle, therefore, when Clover, Sweet - Fern, Cowslip, Buttercup, and most of their playmates, besought him to - relate one of his stories, while they were waiting for the mist to clear - up. - </p> - <p> - “Yes, Cousin Eustace,” said Primrose, who was a bright girl of twelve, - with laughing eyes, and a nose that turned up a little, “the morning is - certainly the best time for the stories with which you so often tire out - our patience. We shall be in less danger of hurting your feelings, by - falling asleep at the most interesting points,—as little Cowslip and - I did last night!” - </p> - <p> - “Naughty Primrose,” cried Cowslip, a child of six years old; “I did not - fall asleep, and I only shut my eyes, so as to see a picture of what - Cousin Eustace was telling about. His stories are good to hear at night, - because we can dream about them asleep; and good in the morning, too, - because then we can dream about them awake. So I hope he will tell us one - this very minute.” - </p> - <p> - “Thank you, my little Cowslip,” said Eustace; “certainly you shall have - the best story I can think of, if it were only for defending me so well - from that naughty Primrose. But, children, I have already told you so many - fairy tales, that I doubt whether there is a single one which you have not - heard at least twice over. I am afraid you will fall asleep in reality, if - I repeat any of them again.” - </p> - <p> - “No, no, no!” cried Blue Eye, Periwinkle, Plantain, and half a dozen - others. “We like a story all the better for having heard it two or three - tunes before.” - </p> - <p> - And it is a truth, as regards children, that a story seems often to deepen - its mark in their interest, not merely by two or three, but by numberless - repetitions. But Eustace Bright, in the exuberance of his resources, - scorned to avail himself of an advantage which an older story-teller would - have been glad to grasp at. - </p> - <p> - “It would be a great pity,” said he, “if a man of my learning (to say - nothing of original fancy) could not find a new story every day, year in - and year out, for children such as you. I will tell you one of the nursery - tales that were made for the amusement of our great old grandmother, the - Earth, when she was a child in frock and pinafore. There are a hundred - such; and it is a wonder to me that they have not long ago been put into - picture-books for little girls and boys. But, instead of that, old - gray-bearded grandsires pore over them, in musty volumes of Greek, and - puzzle themselves with trying to find out when, and how, and for what they - were made.” - </p> - <p> - “Well, well, well, well, Cousin Eustace!” cried all the children at once; - “talk no more about your stories, but begin.” - </p> - <p> - “Sit down, then, every soul of you,” said Eustace Bright, “and be all as - still as so many mice. At the slightest interruption, whether from great, - naughty Primrose, little Dandelion, or any other, I shall bite the story - short off between my teeth, and swallow the untold part. But, in the first - place, do any of you know what a Gorgon is?” - </p> - <p> - “I do,” said Primrose. - </p> - <p> - “Then hold your tongue!” rejoined Eustace, who had rather she would have - known nothing about the matter. “Hold all your tongues, and I shall tell - you a sweet pretty story of a Gorgon’s head.” - </p> - <p> - And so he did, as you may begin to read on the next page. Working up his - sophomorical erudition with a good deal of tact, and incurring great - obligations to Professor Anthon, he, nevertheless, disregarded all - classical authorities, whenever the vagrant audacity of his imagination - impelled him to do so. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /><br /> <a name="gorgon"></a> - </p> - <h3> - THE GORGON’S HEAD. - </h3> - <p> - Perseus was the son of Danae, who was the daughter of a king. And when - Perseus was a very little boy, some wicked people put his mother and - himself 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 - tossed it up and down; while Danae clasped her child closely to her bosom, - and dreaded that some big wave would dash its foamy crest over them both. - The chest sailed on, however, and neither sank nor was upset; until, when - night was coming, it floated so near an island that it got entangled in a - fisherman’s nets, and was drawn out high and dry upon the sand. The island - was called Seriphus, and it was reigned over by King Polydectes, who - happened to be the fisherman’s brother. - </p> - <p> - This fisherman, I am glad to tell you, was an exceedingly humane and - upright man. He showed great kindness to Danae and her little boy; and - continued to befriend them, until Perseus had grown to be a handsome - youth, very strong and active, and skilful in the use of arms. Long before - this time, King Polydectes 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 some great mischief to Danae - herself. So this bad-hearted king spent a long while in considering what - was the most dangerous thing that a young man could possibly undertake to - perform. At last, having hit upon an enterprise that promised to turn out - as fatally as he desired, he sent for the youthful Perseus. - </p> - <p> - The young man came to the palace, and found the king sitting upon his - throne. - </p> - <p> - “Perseus,” said King Polydectes, smiling craftily upon him, “you are grown - up a fine young man. You and your good mother have received a great deal - of kindness from myself, as well as from my worthy brother the fisherman, - and I suppose you would not be sorry to repay some of it.” - </p> - <p> - “Please your Majesty,” answered Perseus, “I would willingly risk my life - to do so.” - </p> - <p> - “Well, then,” continued the king, still with a curving smile on his lips, - “I have a little adventure to propose to you; and, as you are a brave and - enterprising youth, you will doubtless look upon it as a great piece of - good luck to have 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-fetched and elegant curiosity. I have been a - little perplexed, I must honestly confess, where to obtain anything likely - to please a princess of her exquisite taste. But, this morning, I flatter - myself, I have thought of precisely the article.” - </p> - <p> - “And can I assist your Majesty in obtaining it?” cried Perseus, eagerly. - </p> - <p> - “You can, if you are as brave a youth as I believe you to be,” replied - King Polydectes, with the utmost graciousness of manner. “The bridal gift - which 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 Perseus, to bring it to me. So, as I am anxious to settle affairs - with the princess, the sooner you go in quest of the Gorgon, the better I - shall be pleased.” - </p> - <p> - “I will set out to-morrow morning,” answered Perseus. - </p> - <p> - “Pray do so, my gallant youth,” rejoined the king. “And, Perseus, in - cutting off the Gorgon’s head, be careful to make a clean stroke, so as - not to injure its appearance. You must bring it home in the very best - condition, in order to suit the exquisite taste of the beautiful Princess - Hippodamia.” - </p> - <p> - Perseus left the palace, but was scarcely out of hearing before Polydectes - burst into a laugh; being greatly amused, wicked king that he was, to find - how readily the young man fell into the snare. The news quickly spread - abroad, that Perseus had undertaken 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 Danae and her son. The - only good man in this unfortunate island of Seriphus appears to have been - the fisherman. As Perseus walked along, therefore, the people pointed - after him, and made mouths, and winked to one another, and ridiculed him - as loudly as they dared. - </p> - <p> - “Ho, ho!” cried they; “Medusa’s snakes will sting him soundly!” - </p> - <p> - Now, there were three Gorgons alive, at that period; and they were the - most strange and terrible monsters that had ever been since the world was - made, or that have been seen in after days, or that are likely to be seen - in all time to come. I hardly know what sort of creature or hobgoblin to - call them. They were three sisters, and seem to have borne some distant - resemblance to women, but were really 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 - Gorgons were terribly long tusks; their hands were made of brass; and - their bodies were all over scales, which, if not iron, were something as - hard and impenetrable. They had wings, too, and exceedingly splendid ones, - I can assure you; for every feather in them was pure, bright, glittering, - burnished gold, and they looked very dazzlingly, no doubt, when the - Gorgons were flying about in the sunshine. - </p> - <p> - But when people happened to catch a glimpse of their glittering - brightness, aloft in the air, they seldom stopped to gaze, but ran and hid - themselves as speedily as they could. You will think, perhaps, that they - were afraid of being stung by the serpents 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 - difficult to avoid. For the worst thing about these abominable Gorgons - was, that, if once a poor mortal fixed his eyes full upon one of their - faces, he was certain, that very instant, to be changed from warm flesh - and blood into cold and lifeless stone! - </p> - <p> - Thus, as you will easily perceive, it was a very dangerous adventure that - the wicked King Polydectes had contrived for this innocent young man. - Perseus himself, when he had thought over the matter, could not help - seeing that he had very little chance of coming safely through it, and - that he was far more likely to become a stone image than to bring back the - head of Medusa 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 contending. Else, while his - arm was lifted to strike, he would stiffen into stone, and stand with that - uplifted arm for centuries, until time, and the wind and weather, should - crumble him quite away. This would be a very sad thing to befall a young - mail who wanted to perform a great many brave deeds, and to enjoy a great - deal of happiness, in this bright and beautiful world. - </p> - <p> - So disconsolate did these thoughts make him, that Perseus could not bear - to tell his another what he had undertaken to do. He therefore took his - shield, girded on his sword, and crossed over from the island to the - mainland, where he sat down in a solitary place, and hardly refrained from - shedding tears. - </p> - <p> - But, while he was in this sorrowful mood, he heard a voice close beside - him. - </p> - <p> - “Perseus,” said the voice, “why are you sad?” - </p> - <p> - He lifted his head from his hands, in which he had hidden it, and, behold! - all alone as Perseus had supposed himself to be, there was a stranger in - the solitary place. It was a brisk, intelligent, and remarkably - shrewd-looking young man, with a cloak over his shoulders, an odd sort of - cap on his head, a strangely twisted staff in his hand, and a short and - 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 - spirits grow livelier, as he gazed at him. Besides, being really a - courageous youth, he felt greatly ashamed that anybody should have found - him with tears in his eyes, like a timid little school-boy, when, after - all, there might be no occasion for despair. So Perseus wiped his eyes, - and answered the stranger pretty briskly, putting on as brave a look as he - could. - </p> - <p> - “I am not so very sad,” said he; “only thoughtful about an adventure that - I have undertaken.” - </p> - <p> - “Oho!” answered the stranger. “Well, tell me all about it, and possibly I - may be of service to you. I have helped a good many young men through - adventures that looked difficult enough beforehand. Perhaps you may have - heard of me. I have more names than one; but the name of Quicksilver suits - me as well as any other. Tell me what your trouble is, and we will talk - the matter over, and see what can be done.” - </p> - <p> - The stranger’s words and manner put Perseus into quite a different mood - from his former one. He resolved to tell Quicksilver all his difficulties, - since he could not easily be worse off than he already 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 Polydeetes wanted the head of Medusa - with the snaky locks as a bridal gift for the beautiful Princess - Hippodamia, and how that he had undertaken to get it for him, but was - afraid of being turned into stone. - </p> - <p> - “And that would be a great pity,” said Quicksilver, with his mischievous - smile. “You would make a very handsome marble statue, it is true, and it - would be a considerable number of centuries before you crumbled away; but, - on the whole, one would rather be a young man for a few years, than a - stone image for a great many.” - </p> - <p> - “O, far rather!” exclaimed Perseus, with the tears again standing in his - eyes. “And, besides, what would my dear mother do, if her beloved son were - turned into a stone?” - </p> - <p> - “Well, well; let us hope that the affair will not turn out so very badly,” - replied Quicksilver, in an encouraging tone. “I am the very person to help - you, if anybody can. My sister and myself will do our utmost to bring you - safe through the adventure, ugly as it now looks.” - </p> - <p> - “Your sister?” repeated Perseus. - </p> - <p> - “Yes, my sister,” said the stranger. “She is very wise, I promise you; and - as for myself, I generally have all my wits about me, such as they are. If - you show yourself bold and cautious, and follow our advice, you need not - fear being a stone image yet awhile. But, first of all, you must polish - your shield, till you can see your face in it as distinctly as in a - mirror.” - </p> - <p> - This seemed to Perseus rather an odd beginning of the adventure; for he - thought it of far more consequence that the shield should be strong enough - to defend him from the Gorgon’s brazen claws, than that it should be - bright 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 shone like the moon at harvest-time. Quicksilver looked at it with - a smile, and nodded his approbation. Then, taking off his own short and - crooked sword, he girded it about Perseus, instead of the one which he had - before worn. - </p> - <p> - “No sword but mine will answer your purpose,” observed he; “the blade has - a most excellent temper, and will cut through iron and brass as easily as - through the slenderest twig. And now we will set out. The next thing is to - find the Three Gray Women, who will tell us where to find the Nymphs.” - </p> - <p> - “The Three Gray Women!” cried Perseus, to whom this seemed only a new - difficulty in the path of his adventure; “pray, who may the Three Gray - Women be? I never heard of them before.” - </p> - <p> - “They are three very strange old ladies,” said Quicksilver, laughing. - “They have but one eye among them, and only one tooth. Moreover, you must - find them out by starlight, or in the dusk of the evening; for they never - show themselves by the light either of the sun or moon.” - </p> - <p> - “But,” said Perseus, “why should I waste my time with these Three Gray - Women? Would it not be better to set out at once in search of the terrible - Gorgons?” - </p> - <p> - “No, no,” answered his friend. “There are other things to be done, before - you can find your way to the Gorgons. There is nothing for it but to hunt - up these old ladies; and when we meet with them, you may be sure that the - Gorgons are not a great way off. Come, let us be stirring!” - </p> - <p> - Perseus, by this time, felt so much confidence in his companion’s - sagacity, that he made no more objections, and professed himself ready to - begin the adventure immediately. They accordingly set out, and walked at a - pretty brisk pace; so brisk, indeed, that Perseus found it rather - difficult to keep up with his 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; although, if he turned a full - gaze, there were no such things to be perceived, but only an odd kind of - cap. But, at all events, the twisted staff was evidently a great - convenience to Quicksilver, and enabled him to proceed so fast, that - Perseus, though a remarkably active young man, began to be out of breath. - </p> - <p> - “Here!” cried Quicksilver, at last,—for he knew well enough, rogue - that he was, how hard Perseus found it to keep pace with him,—“take - you the staff, for you need it a great deal more than I. Are there no - better walkers than yourself, in the island of Seriphus?” - </p> - <p> - “I could walk pretty well,” said Perseus, glancing slyly at his - companion’s feet, “if I had only a pair of winged shoes.” - </p> - <p> - “We must see about getting you a pair,” answered Quicksilver. - </p> - <p> - But the staff helped Perseus along so bravely, that he no longer felt the - slightest weariness. In fact, the stick seemed to be alive in his hand, - and to lend some of its life to Perseus. He and Quicksilver now walked - onward 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 wonderful person. He evidently knew the world; and nobody is so - charming to a young man as a friend who has that kind of knowledge. - Perseus listened the more eagerly, in the hope of brightening his own wits - by what he heard. - </p> - <p> - At last, he happened to recollect that Quicksilver had spoken of a sister, - who was to lend her assistance in the adventure which they were now bound - upon. - </p> - <p> - “Where is she?” he inquired. “Shall we not meet her soon?” - </p> - <p> - “All at the proper time,” said his companion. “But this sister of mine, - you must understand, is quite a different sort of character from myself. - She is very grave and prudent, seldom smiles, never laughs, and makes it a - rule not to utter a word unless she has something particularly profound to - say. Neither will she listen to any but the wisest conversation.” - </p> - <p> - “Dear me!” ejaculated Perseus; “I shall be afraid to say a syllable.” - </p> - <p> - “She is a very accomplished person, I assure you,” continued Quicksilver, - “and has all the arts and sciences at her fingers’ ends. In short, she is - so immoderately 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 her so pleasant a travelling companion as - myself. She has her good points, nevertheless; and you will find the - benefit of them, in your encounter with the Gorgons.” - </p> - <p> - By this time it had grown quite dusk. They were now come to a very wild - and desert place, overgrown with shaggy bushes, and so silent and solitary - that nobody seemed ever to have dwelt or journeyed there. All was waste - and desolate, in the gray twilight, which grew every moment more obscure. - Perseus looked about him, rather disconsolately, and asked Quicksilver - whether they had a great deal farther to go. - </p> - <p> - “Hist! Hist!” whispered his companion. “Make no noise! This is just the - time and place to meet the Three Gray Women. Be careful that they do not - see you before you see them; for, though they have but a single eye among - the three, it is as sharp-sighted as half a dozen common eyes.” - </p> - <p> - “But what must I do,” asked Perseus, “when we meet them?” - </p> - <p> - Quicksilver explained to Perseus how the Three Gray Women managed with - their one eye. They were in the habit, it seems, of changing it from one - to another, as if it had been a pair of spectacles, or—which would - have suited them better—quizzing-glass. When one of the three had - kept the eye a certain time, she took it 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, at the instant when the eye was passing from hand to hand, - neither of the poor old ladies was able to see a wink. I have heard of a - great many strange things, in my day, and have witnessed not a few; but - none, it seems to me, that can compare with the oddity of these Three Gray - Women, all peeping through a single eye. - </p> - <p> - So thought Perseus, likewise, and was so astonished that he almost fancied - his companion was joking with him, and that there were no such old women - in the world. - </p> - <p> - “You will soon find whether I tell the truth or no,” observed Quicksilver. - “Hark! hush! Hist! hist! There they come, now!” - </p> - <p> - Perseus looked earnestly through the dusk of the evening, and there, sure - enough, at no great distance off, he descried the Three Gray Women. The - light being so faint, he could not well make out what sort of figures they - were; only he discovered that they had long 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 diamond in a ring; and so penetrating did it seem to be, that - Perseus could not help thinking it must possess the gift of seeing in the - darkest midnight just as perfectly as at noonday. The sight of three - persons’ eyes was melted and collected into that single one. - </p> - <p> - Thus the three old dames got along about as comfortably, upon the whole, - as if they could all see at once. She who chanced to have the eye in her - forehead 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 clump of bushes behind which he and Quicksilver had hidden - themselves. My stars! it was positively terrible to be within reach of so - very sharp an eye! - </p> - <p> - But, before they reached the clump of bushes, one of the Three Gray Women - spoke. - </p> - <p> - “Sister! Sister Scarecrow!” cried she, “you have had the eye long enough. - It is my turn now!” - </p> - <p> - “Let me keep it a moment longer, Sister Nightmare,” answered Scarecrow. “I - thought I had a glimpse of something behind that thick bush.” - </p> - <p> - “Well, and what of that?” retorted Nightmare, peevishly. “Can’t I see into - a thick bush as easily as yourself? The eye is mine, as well as yours; and - I know the use of it as well as you, or may be a little better. I insist - upon taking a peep immediately!” - </p> - <p> - But here the third sister, whose name was Shakejoint, began to complain, - and said that it was her turn to have the eye, and that Scarecrow and - Nightmare wanted to keep it all to themselves. To end the dispute, old - Dame Scarecrow took the eye out of her forehead, and held it forth in her - hand. - </p> - <p> - “Take it, one of you,” cried she, “and quit this foolish quarrelling. For - my part, I shall be glad of a little thick darkness. Take it quickly, - however, or I must clap it into my own head again!” - </p> - <p> - Accordingly, both Nightmare and Shakejoint stretched out their hands, - groping eagerly to snatch the eye out of the hand of Scarecrow. But, being - both alike blind, they could not easily find where Scarecrow’s hand was; - and Scarecrow, being now 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 into a strange perplexity. For, - though the eye shone and glistened like a star, as Scarecrow held it out, - yet the Gray Women caught not the least glimpse of its light, and were all - three in utter darkness, from too impatient a desire to see. - </p> - <p> - Quicksilver was so much tickled at beholding Shakejoint and Nightmare both - groping for the eye, and each finding fault with Scarecrow and one - another, that he could scarcely help laughing aloud. - </p> - <p> - “Now is your time!” he whispered to Perseus. - </p> - <p> - “Quick, quick! before they can clap the eye into either of their heads. - Rush out upon the old ladies, and snatch it from Scarecrow’s hand!” - </p> - <p> - In an instant, while the Three Gray Women were still scolding each other, - Perseus leaped front behind the clump of bushes, and made himself master - of the prize. The marvellous eye, as he held it in his hand, shone very - brightly, and seemed 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 one of her sisters was in possession of - the eye, they began their quarrel anew. At last, as Perseus did not wish - to put these respectable dames to greater inconvenience than was really - necessary, he thought it right to explain the matter. “My good ladies,” - said he, “pray do not be angry with one another. If anybody is in fault, - it is myself; for I have the honor to hold your very brilliant and - excellent eye in my own hand!” - </p> - <p> - “You! you have our eye! And who are you?” screamed the Three Gray Women, - all in a breath; for they were terribly frightened, of course, at hearing - a strange voice, and discovering that their eyesight had got into the - hands of they could not guess whom. “O, what shall we do, sisters? what - shall we do? We are all in the dark! Give us our eye! Give us our one, - precious, solitary eye! You have two of your own Give us our eye!” - </p> - <p> - “Tell them,” whispered Quicksilver to Perseus, “that they shall have back - the eye as soon as they direct you where to find the Nymphs who have the - flying slippers, the magic wallet, and the helmet of darkness.” - </p> - <p> - “My dear, good, admirable old ladies,” said Perseus, addressing the Gray - Women, “there is no occasion for putting yourselves into such a fright. I - am by no means a bad young man. You shall have back your eye, safe and - sound, and as bright as ever, the moment you tell me where to find the - Nymphs.” - </p> - <p> - “The Nymphs! Goodness me! sisters, what Nymphs does he mean?” screamed - Scarecrow. “There are a great many Nymphs, people say; some that go a - hunting in the woods, and some 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 go wandering about in - the dusk, and never had but one eye amongst us, and that one you have - stolen away. O, give it back, good stranger!—whoever you are, give - it back!” - </p> - <p> - All this while the Three Gray Women were groping with their outstretched - hands, and trying their utmost to get hold of Perseus. But he took good - care to keep out of their reach. - </p> - <p> - “My respectable dames,” said he,—for his mother had taught him - always to use the greatest civility,—“I hold your eye fast in my - hand, and shall keep it safely for you, until you please to tell me where - to find these Nymphs. The Nymphs, I mean, who keep the enchanted wallet, - the flying slippers, and the what is it?—the helmet of - invisibility.” - </p> - <p> - “Mercy on us, sisters! what is the young man talking about?” exclaimed - Scarecrow, Nightmare, and Shakejoint, one to another, with great - appearance of astonishment. “A pair of flying slippers, quoth he! His - heels would quickly fly higher than his head, if he were 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 wonder? No, - no, good stranger! we can tell you nothing of these marvellous things. You - have two eyes of your own, and we have but a single one amongst us three. - You can find out such wonders better than three blind old creatures, like - us.” - </p> - <p> - Perseus, hearing them talk in this way, began really to think that the - Gray Women knew nothing of the matter; and, as it grieved him to have put - them to so much trouble, he was just on the point of restoring their eye - and asking pardon for his rudeness in snatching it away. But Quicksilver - caught his hand. - </p> - <p> - “Don’t let them make a fool of you!” said he. “These Three Gray Women are - the only persons in the world that can tell you where to find the Nymphs; - and, unless you get that information, you will never succeed in cutting - off the head of Medusa with the snaky locks. Keep fast hold of the eye, - and all will go well.” - </p> - <p> - As it turned out, Quicksilver was in the right. There are but few things - that people prize so much as they do their eyesight; and the Gray Women - valued their single eye as highly as if it had been half a dozen, which - was the number they ought to have had. Finding 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 for their kindness, and bade them farewell. Before the young man was - out of hearing, however, they had got into a new dispute, because he - happened to have given the eye to Scarecrow, who had already taken her - turn of it when their trouble with Perseus commenced. - </p> - <p> - <br /> - </p> - <p> - It is greatly to be feared that the Three Gray Women were very much in the - habit of disturbing their mutual harmony by bickerings of this sort; which - was the more pity, 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, whether sisters or brothers, old or - young, who chance to have but one eye amongst them, to cultivate - forbearance, and not all insist upon peeping through it at once. - </p> - <p> - Quicksilver and Perseus, in the mean time, were making the best of their - way in quest of the Nymphs. The old dames had given them such particular - directions, that they were not long in finding them out. They proved to be - very different persons from Nightmare Shakejoint, and Scarecrow; for, - instead of being old, they were young and beautiful; 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 that were in their custody. In the first place, they - brought out what appeared to be a small purse, made of deer-skin, and - curiously embroidered, and bade him be sure and keep it safe. This was the - magic wallet. The Nymphs next produced a pair of shoes, or slippers, or - sandals, with a nice little pair of wings at the heel of each. - </p> - <p> - “Put them on, Perseus,” said Quicksilver. “You will find yourself as - light-heeled as you can desire, for the remainder of our journey.” - </p> - <p> - So Perseus proceeded to put one of the slippers on, while he laid the - other on the ground by his side. Unexpectedly, however, this other slipper - spread its wings, fluttered up off the ground, and would probably have - flown away, if Quicksilver had not made a leap, and luckily caught it in - the air. - </p> - <p> - “Be more careful,” said he, as he gave it back to Perseus. “It would - frighten the birds, up aloft, if they should see a flying slipper amongst - them.” - </p> - <p> - When Perseus had got on both of these wonderful slippers, he was - altogether too buoyant to tread on earth. Making a step or two, lo and - behold! upward he popt into the air, high above the 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 grows a little accustomed to them. Quicksilver laughed - at his companion’s involuntary activity, and told him that he must not be - in so desperate a hurry, but must wait for the invisible helmet. - </p> - <p> - The good-natured Nymphs had the helmet, with its dark tuft of waving - plumes, all in readiness to put upon his head. And now there happened - about as wonderful an incident as anything that I have yet told you. The - instant before 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, sprightliness, and glorious light. But when - the helmet had descended over his white brow, there was no longer any - Perseus to be seen! Nothing but empty air! Even the helmet, that covered - him with its invisibility, had vanished! - </p> - <p> - “Where are you, Perseus?” asked Quicksilver. - </p> - <p> - “Why, here, to be sure!” answered Perseus, very quietly, although his - voice seemed to come out of the transparent atmosphere. “Just where I was - a moment ago. Don’t you see me?” - </p> - <p> - “No, indeed!” answered his friend. “You are hidden under the helmet. But, - if I cannot see you, neither can the Gorgons. Follow me, therefore, and we - will try your dexterity in using the winged slippers.” - </p> - <p> - With these words, Quicksilver’s cap spread its wings, as if his head were - about to fly away from his shoulders; but his whole figure rose lightly - into the air, and Perseus followed. By the time they had ascended a few - hundred feet, the young man began to feel what a delightful thing it was - to leave the dull earth so far beneath him, and to be able to flit about - like a bird. - </p> - <p> - It was now deep night. Perseus looked upward, and saw the round, bright, - silvery moon, and thought that he should desire nothing better than to - soar up thither, and spend his life there. Then he looked downward again, - and saw the earth, with its seas, and lakes, and the silver courses of its - rivers, and its snowy mountain-peaks, and the breadth of its fields, and - the dark cluster of its woods, and 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 - Seriplius, 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 - chilled and moistened with gray mist. So swift was their flight, however, - that, in an instant, they emerged from the cloud into the moonlight again. - Once, a high-soaring eagle flew right against the invisible Perseus. The - bravest sights were the meteors, that gleamed suddenly out, as if a - bonfire had been kindled in the sky, and made the moonshine pale for as - much as a hundred miles around them. - </p> - <p> - As the two companions flew onward, Perseus fancied that he could hear the - rustle of a garment close by his side; and it was on the side opposite to - the one where he beheld Quicksilver, yet only Quicksilver was visible. - </p> - <p> - “Whose garment is this,” inquired Perseus, “that keeps rustling close - beside me, in the breeze?” - </p> - <p> - “O, it is my sister’s!” answered Quicksilver. “She is coming along with - us, as I told you she would. We could do nothing without 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 moment, just as distinctly as if you were not - invisible; and I’ll venture to say, she will be the first to discover the - Gorgons.” - </p> - <p> - By this time, in their swift voyage through the air, they had come within - sight of the great ocean, and were soon flying over it. Far beneath them, - the waves tossed themselves tumultuously in mid-sea, or rolled 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, before it reached the - ears of Perseus. Just then a voice spoke in the air close by him. It - seemed to be a woman’s voice, and was melodious, though not exactly what - might be called sweet, but grave and mild. - </p> - <p> - “Perseus,” said the voice, “there are the Gorgons.” - </p> - <p> - “Where?” exclaimed Perseus. “I cannot see them.” - </p> - <p> - “On the shore of that island beneath you,” replied the voice. “A pebble, - dropped from your hand, would strike in the midst of them.” - </p> - <p> - “I told you she would be the first to discover them,” said Quicksilver to - Perseus. “And there they are!” - </p> - <p> - Straight downward, two or three thousand feet below him, Perseus perceived - a small island, with the sea breaking into white foam all around its rocky - shore, except on one side, where there was a beach of snowy sand. He - descended towards it, and, looking earnestly at a cluster or heap of - brightness, at the foot of a precipice of black rocks, behold, there were - the 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 - clutched the wave-beaten fragments of rock, while the sleeping Gorgons - dreamed of tearing some poor mortal all to pieces. The snakes that served - them instead of hair seemed likewise to be asleep; although, now and then, - one would writhe, and lift its head, and thrust out its forked tongue, - emitting a drowsy hiss, and then let itself subside among its sister - snakes. - </p> - <p> - The Gorgons were more like an awful, gigantic kind of insect,—immense, - golden-winged beetles, or dragon-flies, or things of that sort,—at - once ugly and beautiful,—than like anything 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 completely hidden from him by the posture in which they lay; for, had - he but looked one instant at them, he would have fallen heavily out of the - air, an image of senseless stone. - </p> - <p> - “Now,” whispered Quicksilver, as he hovered by the side of Perseus,—“now - is your time to do the deed! Be quick; for, if one of the Gorgons should - awake, you are too late!” - </p> - <p> - “Which shall I strike at?” asked Perseus, drawing his sword and descending - a little lower. “They all three look alike. All three have snaky locks. - Which of the three is Medusa?” - </p> - <p> - It must be understood that Medusa was the only one of these - dragon-monsters whose head Perseus could possibly cut off. As for the - other two, let him have the sharpest sword that ever was forged, and he - might have hacked away by the hour together, without doing there the least - harm. - </p> - <p> - “Be cautious,” said the calm voice which had before spoken to him. “One of - the Gorgons is stirring in her sleep, and is just about to turn over. That - is Medusa. Do not look at her! The sight would turn you to stone! Look at - the reflection of her face and figure in the bright mirror of your - shield.” - </p> - <p> - Perseus now understood Quicksilver’s motive for so earnestly exhorting him - to polish his shield. In its surface he could safely look at the - reflection of the Gorgon’s face. And there it was,—that terrible - countenance,—mirrored in the brightness of the shield, with the - moonlight 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 - savage kind of beauty in it. The eyes were closed, and the Gorgon was - still in a deep slumber; but there was an unquiet expression disturbing - her features, as if the monster was troubled with an ugly dream. She - gnashed her white tusks, and dug into the sand with her brazen claws. - </p> - <p> - The snakes, too, seemed to feel Medusa’s dream, and to be made more - restless by it. They twined themselves into tumultuous knots, writhed - fiercely, and uplifted a hundred hissing heads, without opening their - eyes. - </p> - <p> - “Now, now!” whispered Quicksilver, who was growing impatient. “Make a dash - at the monster!” - </p> - <p> - “But be calm,” said the grave, melodious voice, at the young man’s side. - “Look in your shield, as you fly downward, and take care that you do not - miss your first stroke.” - </p> - <p> - Perseus flew cautiously downward, still keeping his eyes on Medusa’s face, - as reflected in his shield. The nearer he came, the more terrible did the - snaky visage and metallic body of the monster 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 threateningly upward, and Medusa unclosed her eyes. But she - awoke too late. The sword was sharp; the stroke fell like a - lightning-flash; and the head of the wicked Medusa tumbled from her body! - </p> - <p> - “Admirably done!” cried Quicksilver. “Make haste, and clap the head into - your magic wallet.” - </p> - <p> - To the astonishment of Perseus, the small, embroidered wallet, which he - had hung about his neck, and which had hitherto been no bigger than a - purse, grew all at once large enough to contain Medusa’s head. As quick as - thought, he snatched it up, with the snakes still writhing upon it, and - thrust it in. - </p> - <p> - “Your task is done,” said the calm voice. “Now fly; for the other Gorgons - will do their utmost to take vengeance for Medusa’s death.” - </p> - <p> - It was, indeed, necessary to take flight; for Perseus had not done the - deed so quietly, but that the clash of his sword, and the hissing of the - snakes, and the thump of Medusa’s head as it tumbled upon the sea-beaten - sand, awoke the other two monsters. There they sat, 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, and her golden wings all ruffled, and - half spread out on the sand, it was really awful to hear what yells and - screeches they set up. And then the snakes! They sent forth a hundred-fold - hiss, with one consent, and Medusa’s snakes answered them out of the magic - wallet. - </p> - <p> - No sooner were the Gorgons broad awake, than they hurtled upward into the - air, brandishing their brass talons, gnashing their horrible tusks, and - flapping their huge wings so wildly, that some of the golden feathers were - shaken out, and floated down upon the shore. And there, perhaps, those - very feathers he scattered, till this day. Up rose 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 not in what direction to follow him; nor did he fail to - make the best use of the winged slippers, by soaring upward a - perpendicular mile or so. At that height, when the screams of those - abominable creatures sounded faintly beneath him, he made a straight - course for the island of Seriphus, in order to carry Medusa’s head to King - Polydectes. - </p> - <p> - I have no time to tell you of several marvellous things that befell - Perseus, on his way homeward; such as his killing a hideous sea-monster, - just as it was on 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 you doubt this latter story, you may make a - voyage to Africa, some day or other, and see the very mountain, which is - still known by the ancient giant’s name. - </p> - <p> - Finally, our brave Perseus arrived at the island, where he expected to see - his dear mother. But, during his absence, the wicked king had treated - Danae so very ill, that she was compelled to make her escape, and had - taken refuge in 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 Danae and little Perseus when he found them - afloat in the chest, seem to have been the only persons on the island who - cared about doing right. All the rest of the people, as well as King - Polydectes himself, were remarkably ill-behaved, and deserved no better - destiny than that which was now to happen. - </p> - <p> - Not finding his mother at home, Perseus went straight to the palace and - was immediately ushered into the presence of the king. Polydectes was by - no means 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 eaten him up, out of the way. However, seeing him safely - returned, he put the best face he could upon the matter and asked Perseus - how he had succeeded. - </p> - <p> - “Have you performed your promise?” inquired he. “Have you brought me the - head of Medusa with the snaky locks? If not, young man, it will cost you - dear; for I must have a bridal present for the beautiful Princess - Hippodamia, and there is nothing else that she would admire so much.” - </p> - <p> - “Yes, please your Majesty,” answered Perseus, in a quiet way, as if it - were no very wonderful deed for such a young man as he to perform. “I have - brought you the Gorgon’s head, snaky locks and all!” - </p> - <p> - “Indeed! Pray let me see it,” quoth King Polydectes. “It must be a very - curious spectacle, if all that travellers tell about it be true!” - </p> - <p> - “Your Majesty is in the right,” replied Perseus. “It is really an object - that will be pretty certain to fix the regards of all who 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 summoned to behold this wonderful - curiosity. Few of them, I imagine, have seen a Gorgon’s head before, and - perhaps never may again!” - </p> - <p> - The king well knew that his subjects were an idle set of reprobates, and - very fond of sight-seeing, as idle persons usually are. So he took the - young man’s advice, and sent out heralds and messengers, in all - directions, to blow the trumpet at the street-corners, and in the - market-places, and wherever two roads met, and summon everybody to court. - 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 such), they stayed - quietly at home, minding their own business, and taking care of their - little children. Most of the inhabitants, at all events, ran as fast as - they could to the palace, and shoved, and pushed, and elbowed one another, - in their eagerness to get near a balcony, on which Perseus showed himself, - holding the embroidered wallet in his hand. - </p> - <p> - On a platform, within full view of the balcony, sat the mighty King - Polydectes, amid his evil counsellors, and with his flattering courtiers - in a semicircle round about him. Monarch, counsellors, courtiers, and - subjects, all gazed eagerly towards Perseus. - </p> - <p> - “Show us the head! Show us the head!” shouted the people; and there was a - fierceness in their cry as if they would tear Perseus to pieces, unless he - should satisfy them with what he had to show. “Show us the head of Medusa - with the snaky locks!” - </p> - <p> - A feeling of sorrow and pity came over the youthful Perseus. - </p> - <p> - “O King Polydectes,” cried he, “and ye many people, I am very loath to - show you the Gorgon’s head!” - </p> - <p> - “Ah, the villain and coward!” yelled the people, more fiercely than - before. “He is making game of us! He has no Gorgon’s head! Show us the - head, if you have it, or we will take your own head for a football!” - </p> - <p> - The evil counsellors whispered bad advice in the king’s ear; the courtiers - murmured, with one consent, that Perseus had shown disrespect to their - royal lord and master; and the great King Polydectes himself waved his - hand, and ordered him, with the stern, deep voice of authority, on his - peril, to produce the bead. - </p> - <p> - “Show me the Gorgon’s head, or I will cut off your own!” - </p> - <p> - And Perseus sighed. - </p> - <p> - “This instant,” repeated Polydectes, “or you die!” - </p> - <p> - “Behold it, then!” cried Perseus, in a voice like the blast of a trumpet. - </p> - <p> - And, suddenly holding up the head, not an eyelid had time to wink before - the wicked King Polydectes, his evil counsellors, and all his fierce - subjects were no longer anything 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, they whitened - into marble! And Perseus thrust the head back into his wallet, and went to - tell his dear mother that she need no longer be afraid of the wicked King - Polydectes. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /><br /> <a name="after"></a> - </p> - <h3> - TANGLEWOOD PORCH. - </h3> - <h4> - AFTER THE STORY. - </h4> - <p> - “Is not that a very fine story?” asked Eustace. - </p> - <p> - “O yes, yes!” cried Cowslip, clapping her hands. “And those funny old - women, with only one eye amongst them! I never heard of anything so - strange.” - </p> - <p> - “As to their one tooth, which they shifted about,” observed Primrose, - “there was nothing so very wonderful in that. I suppose it was a false - tooth. But think of your turning Mercury into Quicksilver, and talking - about his sister! You are too ridiculous!” - </p> - <p> - “And was she not his sister?” asked Eustace Bright. “If I had thought of - it sooner, I would have described her as a maiden lady, who kept a pet - owl!” - </p> - <p> - “Well, at any rate,” said Primrose, “your story seems to have driven away - the mist.” - </p> - <p> - And, indeed, while the tale was going forward, the vapors had been quite - exhaled from the landscape. A scene was now disclosed which the spectators - might almost fancy as having been created since they had last looked in - the direction where it lay. About half a mile distant, in the lap of the - valley, now appeared a beautiful lake, which reflected a perfect image of - its own wooded banks, and of the summits of the more distant hills. It - gleamed in glassy tranquillity, without the trace of a winged breeze on - any part of its bosom. Beyond its farther shore was Monument Mountain, in - a recumbent position, stretching almost across the valley. Eustace Bright - compared it to a huge, headless sphinx, wrapped in a Persian shawl; and, - indeed, so rich and diversified was the autumnal foliage of its woods, - that the simile of the shawl was by no means too high-colored for the - reality. In the lower ground, between Tanglewood and the lake, the clumps - of trees and borders of woodland were chiefly golden-leaved or dusky - brown, as having suffered more from frost than the foliage on the - hillsides. - </p> - <p> - Over all this scene there was a genial sunshine, intermingled with a - slight haze, which made it unspeakably soft and tender. O, what a day of - Indian summer was it going to be! The children snatched their baskets, and - set forth, with hop, skip, and jump, and all sorts of frisks and gambols; - while Cousin Eustace proved his fitness to preside over the party, by - outdoing all their antics, and performing several new capers, which none - of them could ever hope to imitate. Behind went a good old dog, whose name - was Ben. He was one of the most respectable and kind-hearted of - quadrupeds, and probably felt it to be his duty not to trust the children - away from their parents without some better guardian than this - feather-brained Eustace Bright. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg’s The Gorgon’s Head, by Nathaniel Hawthorne - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GORGON’S HEAD *** - -***** This file should be named 9255-h.htm or 9255-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - https://www.gutenberg.org/9/2/5/9255/ - -Produced by David Widger and Al Haines - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Gorgon's Head - -Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne - -Posting Date: December 21, 2010 [EBook #9255] -Release Date: November, 2005 -First Posted: September 25, 2003 -Last Updated: February 6, 2007 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GORGON'S HEAD *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger. HTML version by Al Haines - - - - - - - - - - A WONDER-BOOK FOR GIRLS AND BOYS - - By Nathaniel Hawthorne - - - THE GORGON'S HEAD - - - - -CONTENTS: - - TANGLEWOOD PORCH--Introductory to "The Gorgon's Head" - THE GORGON'S HEAD - TANGLEWOOD PORCH--After the Story - - - -The author has long been of opinion that many of the classical myths -were capable of being rendered into very capital reading for children. - -In the little volume here offered to the public, he has worked up half a -dozen of them, with this end in view. A great freedom of treatment was -necessary to his plan; but it will be observed by every one who attempts -to render these legends malleable in his intellectual furnace, that they -are marvellously independent of all temporary modes and circumstances. -They remain essentially the same, after changes that would affect the -identity of almost anything else. - -He does not, therefore, plead guilty to a sacrilege, in having sometimes -shaped anew, as his fancy dictated, the forms that have been hallowed by -an antiquity of two or three thousand years. No epoch of time can claim -a copyright in these immortal fables. They seem never to have been -made; and certainly, so long as man exists, they can never perish; but, -by their indestructibility itself, they are legitimate subjects for -every age to clothe with its own garniture of manners and sentiment, and -to imbue with its own morality. In the present version they may have -lost much of their classical aspect (or, at all events, the author has -not been careful to preserve it), and have, perhaps, assumed a Gothic or -romantic guise. - -In performing this pleasant task,--for it has been really a task fit for -hot weather, and one of the most agreeable, of a literary kind, which he -ever undertook,--the author has not always thought it necessary to write -downward, in order to meet the comprehension of children. He has -generally suffered the theme to soar, whenever such was its tendency, -and when he himself was buoyant enough to follow without an effort. -Children possess an unestimated sensibility to whatever is deep or high, -in imagination or feeling, so long as it is simple, likewise. It is -only the artificial and the complex that bewilder them. - -Lenox, July 15, 1851. - - - - -THE GORGON'S HEAD - -TANGLEWOOD PORCH - -INTRODUCTORY TO "THE GORGON'S HEAD." - -Beneath the porch of the country-seat called Tanglewood, one fine -autumnal morning, was assembled a merry party of little folks, with a -tall youth in the midst of them. They had planned a nutting expedition, -and were impatiently waiting for the mists to roll up the hill-slopes, -and for the sun to pour the warmth of the Indian summer over the fields -and pastures, and into the nooks of the many-colored woods. There was a -prospect of as fine a day as ever gladdened the aspect of this beautiful -and comfortable world. As yet, however, the morning mist filled up the -whole length and breadth of the valley, above which, on a gently sloping -eminence, the mansion stood. - -This body of white vapor extended to within less than a hundred yards of -the house. It completely hid everything beyond that distance, except a -few ruddy or yellow tree-tops, which here and there emerged, and were -glorified by the early sunshine, as was likewise the broad surface of -the mist. Four or five miles off to the southward rose the summit of -Monument Mountain, and seemed to be floating on a cloud. Some fifteen -miles farther away, in the same direction, appeared the loftier Dome of -Taconic, looking blue and indistinct, and hardly so substantial as the -vapory sea that almost rolled over it. The nearer hills, which bordered -the valley, were half submerged, and were specked with little -cloud-wreaths all the way to their tops. On the whole, there was so much -cloud, and so little solid earth, that it had the effect of a vision. - -The children above-mentioned, being as full of life as they could hold, -kept overflowing from the porch of Tanglewood, and scampering along the -gravel-walk, or rushing across the dewy herbage of the lawn. I can -hardly tell how many of these small people there were; not less than -nine or ten, however, nor more than a dozen, of all sorts, sizes, and -ages, whether girls or boys. They were brothers, sisters, and cousins, -together with a few of their young acquaintances, who had been invited -by Mr. and Mrs. Pringle to spend some of this delightful weather with -their own children, at Tanglewood. I am afraid to tell you their names, -or even to give them any names which other children have ever been -called by; because, to my certain knowledge, authors sometimes get -themselves into great trouble by accidentally giving the names of real -persons to the characters in their books. For this reason, I mean to -call them Primrose, Periwinkle, Sweet Fern, Dandelion, Blue Eye, Clover, -Huckleberry, Cowslip, Squash-blossom, Milkweed, Plantain, and Buttercup; -although, to be sure, such titles might better suit a group of fairies -than a company of earthly children. - -It is not to be supposed that these little folks were to be permitted by -their careful fathers and mothers, uncles, aunts, or grandparents, to -stray abroad into the woods and fields, without the guardianship of some -particularly grave and elderly person. O no, indeed! In the first -sentence of my book, you will recollect that I spoke of a tall youth, -standing in the midst of the children. His name--(and I shall let you -know his real name, because he considers it a great honor to have told -the stories that are here to be printed)--his name was Eustace Bright. -He was a student at Williams College, and had reached, I think, at this -period, the venerable age of eighteen--years; so that he felt quite like -a grandfather towards Periwinkle, Dandelion, Huckleberry, Squash-blossom, -Milkweed, and the rest, who were only half or a third as -venerable as he. A trouble in his eyesight (such as many students think -it necessary to have, nowadays, in order to prove their diligence at -their books) had kept him from college a week or two after the beginning -of the term. But, for my part, I have seldom met with a pair of eyes -that looked as if they could see farther or better than those of Eustace -Bright. - -This learned student was slender, and rather pale, as all Yankee -students are; but yet of a healthy aspect, and as light and active as if -he had wings to his shoes. By the by, being much addicted to wading -through streamlets and across meadows, he had put on cowhide boots for -the expedition. He wore a linen blouse, a cloth cap, and a pair of -green spectacles, which he had assumed, probably, less for the -preservation of his eyes, than for the dignity that they imparted to his -countenance. In either case, however, he might as well have let then -alone; for Huckleberry, a mischievous little elf, crept behind Eustace -as he sat on the steps of the porch, snatched the spectacles from his -nose, and clapped them on her own; and as the student forgot to take -them back, they fell off into the grass, and lay there till the next -spring. - -Now, Eustace Bright, you must know, had won great fame among the -children, as a narrator of wonderful stories; and though he sometimes -pretended to be annoyed, when they teased him for more, and more, and -always for more, yet I really doubt whether he liked anything quite so -well as to tell them. You might have seen his eyes twinkle, therefore, -when Clover, Sweet Fern, Cowslip, Buttercup, and most of their -playmates, besought him to relate one of his stories, while they were -waiting for the mist to clear up. - -"Yes, Cousin Eustace," said Primrose, who was a bright girl of twelve, -with laughing eyes, and a nose that turned up a little, "the morning is -certainly the best time for the stories with which you so often tire out -our patience. We shall be in less danger of hurting your feelings, by -falling asleep at the most interesting points,--as little Cowslip and I -did last night!" - -"Naughty Primrose," cried Cowslip, a child of six years old; "I did not -fall asleep, and I only shut my eyes, so as to see a picture of what -Cousin Eustace was telling about. His stories are good to hear at -night, because we can dream about them asleep; and good in the morning, -too, because then we can dream about them awake. So I hope he will tell -us one this very minute." - -"Thank you, my little Cowslip," said Eustace; "certainly you shall have -the best story I can think of, if it were only for defending me so well -from that naughty Primrose. But, children, I have already told you so -many fairy tales, that I doubt whether there is a single one which you -have not heard at least twice over. I am afraid you will fall asleep in -reality, if I repeat any of them again." - -"No, no, no!" cried Blue Eye, Periwinkle, Plantain, and half a dozen -others. "We like a story all the better for having heard it two or -three tunes before." - -And it is a truth, as regards children, that a story seems often to -deepen its mark in their interest, not merely by two or three, but by -numberless repetitions. But Eustace Bright, in the exuberance of his -resources, scorned to avail himself of an advantage which an older -story-teller would have been glad to grasp at. - -"It would be a great pity," said he, "if a man of my learning (to say -nothing of original fancy) could not find a new story every day, year in -and year out, for children such as you. I will tell you one of the -nursery tales that were made for the amusement of our great old -grandmother, the Earth, when she was a child in frock and pinafore. -There are a hundred such; and it is a wonder to me that they have not -long ago been put into picture-books for little girls and boys. But, -instead of that, old gray-bearded grandsires pore over them, in musty -volumes of Greek, and puzzle themselves with trying to find out when, -and how, and for what they were made." - -"Well, well, well, well, Cousin Eustace!" cried all the children at -once; "talk no more about your stories, but begin." - -"Sit down, then, every soul of you," said Eustace Bright, "and be all as -still as so many mice. At the slightest interruption, whether from -great, naughty Primrose, little Dandelion, or any other, I shall bite -the story short off between my teeth, and swallow the untold part. But, -in the first place, do any of you know what a Gorgon is?" - -"I do," said Primrose. - -"Then hold your tongue!" rejoined Eustace, who had rather she would have -known nothing about the matter. "Hold all your tongues, and I shall -tell you a sweet pretty story of a Gorgon's head." - -And so he did, as you may begin to read on the next page. Working up -his sophomorical erudition with a good deal of tact, and incurring great -obligations to Professor Anthon, he, nevertheless, disregarded all -classical authorities, whenever the vagrant audacity of his imagination -impelled him to do so. - - - -THE GORGON'S HEAD. - -Perseus was the son of Danae, who was the daughter of a king. And when -Perseus was a very little boy, some wicked people put his mother and -himself 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 -tossed it up and down; while Danae clasped her child closely to her -bosom, and dreaded that some big wave would dash its foamy crest over -them both. The chest sailed on, however, and neither sank nor was -upset; until, when night was coming, it floated so near an island that -it got entangled in a fisherman's nets, and was drawn out high and dry -upon the sand. The island was called Seriphus, and it was reigned over -by King Polydectes, who happened to be the fisherman's brother. - -This fisherman, I am glad to tell you, was an exceedingly humane and -upright man. He showed great kindness to Danae and her little boy; and -continued to befriend them, until Perseus had grown to be a handsome -youth, very strong and active, and skilful in the use of arms. Long -before this time, King Polydectes 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 some great mischief to Danae -herself. So this bad-hearted king spent a long while in considering -what was the most dangerous thing that a young man could possibly -undertake to perform. At last, having hit upon an enterprise that -promised to turn out as fatally as he desired, he sent for the youthful -Perseus. - -The young man came to the palace, and found the king sitting upon his -throne. - -"Perseus," said King Polydectes, smiling craftily upon him, "you are -grown up a fine young man. You and your good mother have received a -great deal of kindness from myself, as well as from my worthy brother -the fisherman, and I suppose you would not be sorry to repay some of -it." - -"Please your Majesty," answered Perseus, "I would willingly risk my life -to do so." - -"Well, then," continued the king, still with a curving smile on his -lips, "I have a little adventure to propose to you; and, as you are a -brave and enterprising youth, you will doubtless look upon it as a great -piece of good luck to have 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-fetched and elegant -curiosity. I have been a little perplexed, I must honestly confess, -where to obtain anything likely to please a princess of her exquisite -taste. But, this morning, I flatter myself, I have thought of precisely -the article." - -"And can I assist your Majesty in obtaining it?" cried Perseus, eagerly. - -"You can, if you are as brave a youth as I believe you to be," replied -King Polydectes, with the utmost graciousness of manner. "The bridal -gift which 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 Perseus, to bring it to me. So, as I am anxious to settle -affairs with the princess, the sooner you go in quest of the Gorgon, the -better I shall be pleased." - -"I will set out to-morrow morning," answered Perseus. - -"Pray do so, my gallant youth," rejoined the king. "And, Perseus, in -cutting off the Gorgon's head, be careful to make a clean stroke, so as -not to injure its appearance. You must bring it home in the very best -condition, in order to suit the exquisite taste of the beautiful -Princess Hippodamia." - -Perseus left the palace, but was scarcely out of hearing before -Polydectes burst into a laugh; being greatly amused, wicked king that he -was, to find how readily the young man fell into the snare. The news -quickly spread abroad, that Perseus had undertaken 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 -Danae and her son. The only good man in this unfortunate island of -Seriphus appears to have been the fisherman. As Perseus walked along, -therefore, the people pointed after him, and made mouths, and winked to -one another, and ridiculed him as loudly as they dared. - -"Ho, ho!" cried they; "Medusa's snakes will sting him soundly!" - -Now, there were three Gorgons alive, at that period; and they were the -most strange and terrible monsters that had ever been since the world -was made, or that have been seen in after days, or that are likely to be -seen in all time to come. I hardly know what sort of creature or -hobgoblin to call them. They were three sisters, and seem to have borne -some distant resemblance to women, but were really 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 Gorgons were terribly long tusks; their hands were made -of brass; and their bodies were all over scales, which, if not iron, -were something as hard and impenetrable. They had wings, too, and -exceedingly splendid ones, I can assure you; for every feather in them -was pure, bright, glittering, burnished gold, and they looked very -dazzlingly, no doubt, when the Gorgons were flying about in the -sunshine. - -But when people happened to catch a glimpse of their glittering -brightness, aloft in the air, they seldom stopped to gaze, but ran and -hid themselves as speedily as they could. You will think, perhaps, that -they were afraid of being stung by the serpents 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 difficult to avoid. For the worst thing about these -abominable Gorgons was, that, if once a poor mortal fixed his eyes full -upon one of their faces, he was certain, that very instant, to be -changed from warm flesh and blood into cold and lifeless stone! - -Thus, as you will easily perceive, it was a very dangerous adventure -that the wicked King Polydectes had contrived for this innocent young -man. Perseus himself, when he had thought over the matter, could not -help seeing that he had very little chance of coming safely through it, -and that he was far more likely to become a stone image than to bring -back the head of Medusa 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 contending. Else, while -his arm was lifted to strike, he would stiffen into stone, and stand -with that uplifted arm for centuries, until time, and the wind and -weather, should crumble him quite away. This would be a very sad thing -to befall a young mail who wanted to perform a great many brave deeds, -and to enjoy a great deal of happiness, in this bright and beautiful -world. - -So disconsolate did these thoughts make him, that Perseus could not bear -to tell his another what he had undertaken to do. He therefore took his -shield, girded on his sword, and crossed over from the island to the -mainland, where he sat down in a solitary place, and hardly refrained -from shedding tears. - -But, while he was in this sorrowful mood, he heard a voice close beside -him. - -"Perseus," said the voice, "why are you sad?" - -He lifted his head from his hands, in which he had hidden it, and, -behold! all alone as Perseus had supposed himself to be, there was a -stranger in the solitary place. It was a brisk, intelligent, and -remarkably shrewd-looking young man, with a cloak over his shoulders, -an odd sort of cap on his head, a strangely twisted staff in his hand, -and a short and 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 spirits grow livelier, as he gazed at -him. Besides, being really a courageous youth, he felt greatly ashamed -that anybody should have found him with tears in his eyes, like a timid -little school-boy, when, after all, there might be no occasion for -despair. So Perseus wiped his eyes, and answered the stranger pretty -briskly, putting on as brave a look as he could. - -"I am not so very sad," said he; "only thoughtful about an adventure -that I have undertaken." - -"Oho!" answered the stranger. "Well, tell me all about it, and possibly -I may be of service to you. I have helped a good many young men through -adventures that looked difficult enough beforehand. Perhaps you may -have heard of me. I have more names than one; but the name of -Quicksilver suits me as well as any other. Tell me what your trouble -is, and we will talk the matter over, and see what can be done." - -The stranger's words and manner put Perseus into quite a different mood -from his former one. He resolved to tell Quicksilver all his -difficulties, since he could not easily be worse off than he already -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 Polydeetes wanted the -head of Medusa with the snaky locks as a bridal gift for the beautiful -Princess Hippodamia, and how that he had undertaken to get it for him, -but was afraid of being turned into stone. - -"And that would be a great pity," said Quicksilver, with his mischievous -smile. "You would make a very handsome marble statue, it is true, and -it would be a considerable number of centuries before you crumbled away; -but, on the whole, one would rather be a young man for a few years, than -a stone image for a great many." - -"O, far rather!" exclaimed Perseus, with the tears again standing in his -eyes. "And, besides, what would my dear mother do, if her beloved son -were turned into a stone?" - -"Well, well; let us hope that the affair will not turn out so very -badly," replied Quicksilver, in an encouraging tone. "I am the very -person to help you, if anybody can. My sister and myself will do our -utmost to bring you safe through the adventure, ugly as it now looks." - -"Your sister?" repeated Perseus. - -"Yes, my sister," said the stranger. "She is very wise, I promise you; -and as for myself, I generally have all my wits about me, such as they -are. If you show yourself bold and cautious, and follow our advice, you -need not fear being a stone image yet awhile. But, first of all, you -must polish your shield, till you can see your face in it as distinctly -as in a mirror." - -This seemed to Perseus rather an odd beginning of the adventure; for he -thought it of far more consequence that the shield should be strong -enough to defend him from the Gorgon's brazen claws, than that it should -be bright 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 shone like the moon at harvest-time. Quicksilver -looked at it with a smile, and nodded his approbation. Then, taking off -his own short and crooked sword, he girded it about Perseus, instead of -the one which he had before worn. - -"No sword but mine will answer your purpose," observed he; "the blade -has a most excellent temper, and will cut through iron and brass as -easily as through the slenderest twig. And now we will set out. The -next thing is to find the Three Gray Women, who will tell us where to -find the Nymphs." - -"The Three Gray Women!" cried Perseus, to whom this seemed only a new -difficulty in the path of his adventure; "pray, who may the Three Gray -Women be? I never heard of them before." - -"They are three very strange old ladies," said Quicksilver, laughing. -"They have but one eye among them, and only one tooth. Moreover, you -must find them out by starlight, or in the dusk of the evening; for they -never show themselves by the light either of the sun or moon." - -"But," said Perseus, "why should I waste my time with these Three Gray -Women? Would it not be better to set out at once in search of the -terrible Gorgons?" - -"No, no," answered his friend. "There are other things to be done, -before you can find your way to the Gorgons. There is nothing for it -but to hunt up these old ladies; and when we meet with them, you may be -sure that the Gorgons are not a great way off. Come, let us be -stirring!" - -Perseus, by this time, felt so much confidence in his companion's -sagacity, that he made no more objections, and professed himself ready -to begin the adventure immediately. They accordingly set out, and -walked at a pretty brisk pace; so brisk, indeed, that Perseus found it -rather difficult to keep up with his 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; although, if he -turned a full gaze, there were no such things to be perceived, but only -an odd kind of cap. But, at all events, the twisted staff was evidently -a great convenience to Quicksilver, and enabled him to proceed so fast, -that Perseus, though a remarkably active young man, began to be out of -breath. - -"Here!" cried Quicksilver, at last,--for he knew well enough, rogue that -he was, how hard Perseus found it to keep pace with him,--"take you the -staff, for you need it a great deal more than I. Are there no better -walkers than yourself, in the island of Seriphus?" - -"I could walk pretty well," said Perseus, glancing slyly at his -companion's feet, "if I had only a pair of winged shoes." - -"We must see about getting you a pair," answered Quicksilver. - -But the staff helped Perseus along so bravely, that he no longer felt -the slightest weariness. In fact, the stick seemed to be alive in his -hand, and to lend some of its life to Perseus. He and Quicksilver now -walked onward 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 wonderful person. He evidently knew the -world; and nobody is so charming to a young man as a friend who has that -kind of knowledge. Perseus listened the more eagerly, in the hope of -brightening his own wits by what he heard. - -At last, he happened to recollect that Quicksilver had spoken of a -sister, who was to lend her assistance in the adventure which they were -now bound upon. - -"Where is she?" he inquired. "Shall we not meet her soon?" - -"All at the proper time," said his companion. "But this sister of mine, -you must understand, is quite a different sort of character from myself. -She is very grave and prudent, seldom smiles, never laughs, and makes it -a rule not to utter a word unless she has something particularly -profound to say. Neither will she listen to any but the wisest -conversation." - -"Dear me!" ejaculated Perseus; "I shall be afraid to say a syllable." - -"She is a very accomplished person, I assure you," continued -Quicksilver, "and has all the arts and sciences at her fingers' ends. -In short, she is so immoderately 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 her so pleasant a -travelling companion as myself. She has her good points, nevertheless; -and you will find the benefit of them, in your encounter with the -Gorgons." - -By this time it had grown quite dusk. They were now come to a very wild -and desert place, overgrown with shaggy bushes, and so silent and -solitary that nobody seemed ever to have dwelt or journeyed there. All -was waste and desolate, in the gray twilight, which grew every moment -more obscure. Perseus looked about him, rather disconsolately, and -asked Quicksilver whether they had a great deal farther to go. - -"Hist! Hist!" whispered his companion. "Make no noise! This is just -the time and place to meet the Three Gray Women. Be careful that they -do not see you before you see them; for, though they have but a single -eye among the three, it is as sharp-sighted as half a dozen common -eyes." - -"But what must I do," asked Perseus, "when we meet them?" - -Quicksilver explained to Perseus how the Three Gray Women managed with -their one eye. They were in the habit, it seems, of changing it from -one to another, as if it had been a pair of spectacles, or--which would -have suited them better--quizzing-glass. When one of the three had kept -the eye a certain time, she took it 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, at the instant when the eye was passing from hand to -hand, neither of the poor old ladies was able to see a wink. I have -heard of a great many strange things, in my day, and have witnessed not -a few; but none, it seems to me, that can compare with the oddity of -these Three Gray Women, all peeping through a single eye. - -So thought Perseus, likewise, and was so astonished that he almost -fancied his companion was joking with him, and that there were no such -old women in the world. - -"You will soon find whether I tell the truth or no," observed -Quicksilver. "Hark! hush! Hist! hist! There they come, now!" - -Perseus looked earnestly through the dusk of the evening, and there, -sure enough, at no great distance off, he descried the Three Gray Women. -The light being so faint, he could not well make out what sort of -figures they were; only he discovered that they had long 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 diamond in a ring; and so penetrating -did it seem to be, that Perseus could not help thinking it must possess -the gift of seeing in the darkest midnight just as perfectly as at -noonday. The sight of three persons' eyes was melted and collected into -that single one. - -Thus the three old dames got along about as comfortably, upon the whole, -as if they could all see at once. She who chanced to have the eye in -her forehead 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 clump of bushes behind which he and Quicksilver had -hidden themselves. My stars! it was positively terrible to be within -reach of so very sharp an eye! - -But, before they reached the clump of bushes, one of the Three Gray -Women spoke. - -"Sister! Sister Scarecrow!" cried she, "you have had the eye long -enough. It is my turn now!" - -"Let me keep it a moment longer, Sister Nightmare," answered Scarecrow. -"I thought I had a glimpse of something behind that thick bush." - -"Well, and what of that?" retorted Nightmare, peevishly. "Can't I see -into a thick bush as easily as yourself? The eye is mine, as well as -yours; and I know the use of it as well as you, or may be a little -better. I insist upon taking a peep immediately!" - -But here the third sister, whose name was Shakejoint, began to complain, -and said that it was her turn to have the eye, and that Scarecrow and -Nightmare wanted to keep it all to themselves. To end the dispute, old -Dame Scarecrow took the eye out of her forehead, and held it forth in -her hand. - -"Take it, one of you," cried she, "and quit this foolish quarrelling. -For my part, I shall be glad of a little thick darkness. Take it -quickly, however, or I must clap it into my own head again!" - -Accordingly, both Nightmare and Shakejoint stretched out their hands, -groping eagerly to snatch the eye out of the hand of Scarecrow. But, -being both alike blind, they could not easily find where Scarecrow's -hand was; and Scarecrow, being now 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 into a -strange perplexity. For, though the eye shone and glistened like a -star, as Scarecrow held it out, yet the Gray Women caught not the least -glimpse of its light, and were all three in utter darkness, from too -impatient a desire to see. - -Quicksilver was so much tickled at beholding Shakejoint and Nightmare -both groping for the eye, and each finding fault with Scarecrow and one -another, that he could scarcely help laughing aloud. - -"Now is your time!" he whispered to Perseus. - -"Quick, quick! before they can clap the eye into either of their heads. -Rush out upon the old ladies, and snatch it from Scarecrow's hand!" - -In an instant, while the Three Gray Women were still scolding each -other, Perseus leaped front behind the clump of bushes, and made himself -master of the prize. The marvellous eye, as he held it in his hand, -shone very brightly, and seemed 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 one of her -sisters was in possession of the eye, they began their quarrel anew. At -last, as Perseus did not wish to put these respectable dames to greater -inconvenience than was really necessary, he thought it right to explain -the matter. "My good ladies," said he, "pray do not be angry with one -another. If anybody is in fault, it is myself; for I have the honor to -hold your very brilliant and excellent eye in my own hand!" - -"You! you have our eye! And who are you?" screamed the Three Gray -Women, all in a breath; for they were terribly frightened, of course, at -hearing a strange voice, and discovering that their eyesight had got -into the hands of they could not guess whom. "O, what shall we do, -sisters? what shall we do? We are all in the dark! Give us our eye! -Give us our one, precious, solitary eye! You have two of your own Give -us our eye!" - -"Tell them," whispered Quicksilver to Perseus, "that they shall have -back the eye as soon as they direct you where to find the Nymphs who -have the flying slippers, the magic wallet, and the helmet of darkness." - -"My dear, good, admirable old ladies," said Perseus, addressing the Gray -Women, "there is no occasion for putting yourselves into such a fright. -I am by no means a bad young man. You shall have back your eye, safe -and sound, and as bright as ever, the moment you tell me where to find -the Nymphs." - -"The Nymphs! Goodness me! sisters, what Nymphs does he mean?" screamed -Scarecrow. "There are a great many Nymphs, people say; some that go a -hunting in the woods, and some 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 go wandering about -in the dusk, and never had but one eye amongst us, and that one you have -stolen away. O, give it back, good stranger!--whoever you are, give it -back!" - -All this while the Three Gray Women were groping with their outstretched -hands, and trying their utmost to get hold of Perseus. But he took good -care to keep out of their reach. - -"My respectable dames," said he,--for his mother had taught him always -to use the greatest civility,--"I hold your eye fast in my hand, and -shall keep it safely for you, until you please to tell me where to find -these Nymphs. The Nymphs, I mean, who keep the enchanted wallet, the -flying slippers, and the what is it?--the helmet of invisibility." - -"Mercy on us, sisters! what is the young man talking about?" exclaimed -Scarecrow, Nightmare, and Shakejoint, one to another, with great -appearance of astonishment. "A pair of flying slippers, quoth he! His -heels would quickly fly higher than his head, if he were 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 wonder? -No, no, good stranger! we can tell you nothing of these marvellous -things. You have two eyes of your own, and we have but a single one -amongst us three. You can find out such wonders better than three blind -old creatures, like us." - -Perseus, hearing them talk in this way, began really to think that the -Gray Women knew nothing of the matter; and, as it grieved him to have -put them to so much trouble, he was just on the point of restoring their -eye and asking pardon for his rudeness in snatching it away. But -Quicksilver caught his hand. - -"Don't let them make a fool of you!" said he. "These Three Gray Women -are the only persons in the world that can tell you where to find the -Nymphs; and, unless you get that information, you will never succeed in -cutting off the head of Medusa with the snaky locks. Keep fast hold of -the eye, and all will go well." - -As it turned out, Quicksilver was in the right. There are but few -things that people prize so much as they do their eyesight; and the Gray -Women valued their single eye as highly as if it had been half a dozen, -which was the number they ought to have had. Finding 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 for their kindness, and bade them farewell. -Before the young man was out of hearing, however, they had got into a -new dispute, because he happened to have given the eye to Scarecrow, who -had already taken her turn of it when their trouble with Perseus -commenced. - - -It is greatly to be feared that the Three Gray Women were very much in -the habit of disturbing their mutual harmony by bickerings of this sort; -which was the more pity, 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, whether sisters or brothers, -old or young, who chance to have but one eye amongst them, to cultivate -forbearance, and not all insist upon peeping through it at once. - -Quicksilver and Perseus, in the mean time, were making the best of their -way in quest of the Nymphs. The old dames had given them such -particular directions, that they were not long in finding them out. -They proved to be very different persons from Nightmare Shakejoint, and -Scarecrow; for, instead of being old, they were young and beautiful; 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 that were in their -custody. In the first place, they brought out what appeared to be a -small purse, made of deer-skin, and curiously embroidered, and bade him -be sure and keep it safe. This was the magic wallet. The Nymphs next -produced a pair of shoes, or slippers, or sandals, with a nice little -pair of wings at the heel of each. - -"Put them on, Perseus," said Quicksilver. "You will find yourself as -light-heeled as you can desire, for the remainder of our journey." - -So Perseus proceeded to put one of the slippers on, while he laid the -other on the ground by his side. Unexpectedly, however, this other -slipper spread its wings, fluttered up off the ground, and would -probably have flown away, if Quicksilver had not made a leap, and -luckily caught it in the air. - -"Be more careful," said he, as he gave it back to Perseus. "It would -frighten the birds, up aloft, if they should see a flying slipper -amongst them." - -When Perseus had got on both of these wonderful slippers, he was -altogether too buoyant to tread on earth. Making a step or two, lo and -behold! upward he popt into the air, high above the 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 grows a little accustomed to -them. Quicksilver laughed at his companion's involuntary activity, and -told him that he must not be in so desperate a hurry, but must wait for -the invisible helmet. - -The good-natured Nymphs had the helmet, with its dark tuft of waving -plumes, all in readiness to put upon his head. And now there happened -about as wonderful an incident as anything that I have yet told you. -The instant before 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, sprightliness, and glorious -light. But when the helmet had descended over his white brow, there was -no longer any Perseus to be seen! Nothing but empty air! Even the -helmet, that covered him with its invisibility, had vanished! - -"Where are you, Perseus?" asked Quicksilver. - -"Why, here, to be sure!" answered Perseus, very quietly, although his -voice seemed to come out of the transparent atmosphere. "Just where I -was a moment ago. Don't you see me?" - -"No, indeed!" answered his friend. "You are hidden under the helmet. -But, if I cannot see you, neither can the Gorgons. Follow me, -therefore, and we will try your dexterity in using the winged slippers." - -With these words, Quicksilver's cap spread its wings, as if his head -were about to fly away from his shoulders; but his whole figure rose -lightly into the air, and Perseus followed. By the time they had -ascended a few hundred feet, the young man began to feel what a -delightful thing it was to leave the dull earth so far beneath him, and -to be able to flit about like a bird. - -It was now deep night. Perseus looked upward, and saw the round, -bright, silvery moon, and thought that he should desire nothing better -than to soar up thither, and spend his life there. Then he looked -downward again, and saw the earth, with its seas, and lakes, and the -silver courses of its rivers, and its snowy mountain-peaks, and the -breadth of its fields, and the dark cluster of its woods, and 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 Seriplius, 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 chilled and moistened with gray mist. So -swift was their flight, however, that, in an instant, they emerged from -the cloud into the moonlight again. Once, a high-soaring eagle flew -right against the invisible Perseus. The bravest sights were the -meteors, that gleamed suddenly out, as if a bonfire had been kindled in -the sky, and made the moonshine pale for as much as a hundred miles -around them. - -As the two companions flew onward, Perseus fancied that he could hear -the rustle of a garment close by his side; and it was on the side -opposite to the one where he beheld Quicksilver, yet only Quicksilver -was visible. - -"Whose garment is this," inquired Perseus, "that keeps rustling close -beside me, in the breeze?" - -"O, it is my sister's!" answered Quicksilver. "She is coming along -with us, as I told you she would. We could do nothing without 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 moment, just as distinctly as if you -were not invisible; and I'll venture to say, she will be the first to -discover the Gorgons." - -By this time, in their swift voyage through the air, they had come -within sight of the great ocean, and were soon flying over it. Far -beneath them, the waves tossed themselves tumultuously in mid-sea, or -rolled 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, before it reached the ears of Perseus. Just then a voice spoke -in the air close by him. It seemed to be a woman's voice, and was -melodious, though not exactly what might be called sweet, but grave and -mild. - -"Perseus," said the voice, "there are the Gorgons." - -"Where?" exclaimed Perseus. "I cannot see them." - -"On the shore of that island beneath you," replied the voice. "A -pebble, dropped from your hand, would strike in the midst of them." - -"I told you she would be the first to discover them," said Quicksilver -to Perseus. "And there they are!" - -Straight downward, two or three thousand feet below him, Perseus -perceived a small island, with the sea breaking into white foam all -around its rocky shore, except on one side, where there was a beach of -snowy sand. He descended towards it, and, looking earnestly at a -cluster or heap of brightness, at the foot of a precipice of black -rocks, behold, there were the 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 clutched the wave-beaten fragments of -rock, while the sleeping Gorgons dreamed of tearing some poor mortal all -to pieces. The snakes that served them instead of hair seemed likewise -to be asleep; although, now and then, one would writhe, and lift its -head, and thrust out its forked tongue, emitting a drowsy hiss, and then -let itself subside among its sister snakes. - -The Gorgons were more like an awful, gigantic kind of insect,--immense, -golden-winged beetles, or dragon-flies, or things of that sort,--at once -ugly and beautiful,--than like anything 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 completely hidden from him by the posture in which they lay; -for, had he but looked one instant at them, he would have fallen heavily -out of the air, an image of senseless stone. - -"Now," whispered Quicksilver, as he hovered by the side of Perseus,--"now -is your time to do the deed! Be quick; for, if one of the Gorgons -should awake, you are too late!" - -"Which shall I strike at?" asked Perseus, drawing his sword and -descending a little lower. "They all three look alike. All three have -snaky locks. Which of the three is Medusa?" - -It must be understood that Medusa was the only one of these dragon-monsters -whose head Perseus could possibly cut off. As for the other -two, let him have the sharpest sword that ever was forged, and he might -have hacked away by the hour together, without doing there the least -harm. - -"Be cautious," said the calm voice which had before spoken to him. "One -of the Gorgons is stirring in her sleep, and is just about to turn over. -That is Medusa. Do not look at her! The sight would turn you to stone! -Look at the reflection of her face and figure in the bright mirror of -your shield." - -Perseus now understood Quicksilver's motive for so earnestly exhorting -him to polish his shield. In its surface he could safely look at the -reflection of the Gorgon's face. And there it was,--that terrible -countenance,--mirrored in the brightness of the shield, with the -moonlight 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 savage kind of beauty in it. The eyes were closed, and the Gorgon -was still in a deep slumber; but there was an unquiet expression -disturbing her features, as if the monster was troubled with an ugly -dream. She gnashed her white tusks, and dug into the sand with her -brazen claws. - -The snakes, too, seemed to feel Medusa's dream, and to be made more -restless by it. They twined themselves into tumultuous knots, writhed -fiercely, and uplifted a hundred hissing heads, without opening their -eyes. - -"Now, now!" whispered Quicksilver, who was growing impatient. "Make a -dash at the monster!" - -"But be calm," said the grave, melodious voice, at the young man's side. -"Look in your shield, as you fly downward, and take care that you do not -miss your first stroke." - -Perseus flew cautiously downward, still keeping his eyes on Medusa's -face, as reflected in his shield. The nearer he came, the more terrible -did the snaky visage and metallic body of the monster 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 threateningly upward, and Medusa unclosed -her eyes. But she awoke too late. The sword was sharp; the stroke fell -like a lightning-flash; and the head of the wicked Medusa tumbled from -her body! - -"Admirably done!" cried Quicksilver. "Make haste, and clap the head -into your magic wallet." - -To the astonishment of Perseus, the small, embroidered wallet, which he -had hung about his neck, and which had hitherto been no bigger than a -purse, grew all at once large enough to contain Medusa's head. As quick -as thought, he snatched it up, with the snakes still writhing upon it, -and thrust it in. - -"Your task is done," said the calm voice. "Now fly; for the other -Gorgons will do their utmost to take vengeance for Medusa's death." - -It was, indeed, necessary to take flight; for Perseus had not done the -deed so quietly, but that the clash of his sword, and the hissing of the -snakes, and the thump of Medusa's head as it tumbled upon the sea-beaten -sand, awoke the other two monsters. There they sat, 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, and her golden wings all ruffled, -and half spread out on the sand, it was really awful to hear what yells -and screeches they set up. And then the snakes! They sent forth a -hundred-fold hiss, with one consent, and Medusa's snakes answered them -out of the magic wallet. - -No sooner were the Gorgons broad awake, than they hurtled upward into -the air, brandishing their brass talons, gnashing their horrible tusks, -and flapping their huge wings so wildly, that some of the golden -feathers were shaken out, and floated down upon the shore. And there, -perhaps, those very feathers he scattered, till this day. Up rose 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 not in what -direction to follow him; nor did he fail to make the best use of the -winged slippers, by soaring upward a perpendicular mile or so. At that -height, when the screams of those abominable creatures sounded faintly -beneath him, he made a straight course for the island of Seriphus, in -order to carry Medusa's head to King Polydectes. - -I have no time to tell you of several marvellous things that befell -Perseus, on his way homeward; such as his killing a hideous sea-monster, -just as it was on 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 you doubt this latter story, you may -make a voyage to Africa, some day or other, and see the very mountain, -which is still known by the ancient giant's name. - -Finally, our brave Perseus arrived at the island, where he expected to -see his dear mother. But, during his absence, the wicked king had -treated Danae so very ill, that she was compelled to make her escape, -and had taken refuge in 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 Danae and little Perseus -when he found them afloat in the chest, seem to have been the only -persons on the island who cared about doing right. All the rest of the -people, as well as King Polydectes himself, were remarkably ill-behaved, -and deserved no better destiny than that which was now to happen. - -Not finding his mother at home, Perseus went straight to the palace and -was immediately ushered into the presence of the king. Polydectes was -by no means 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 eaten him up, out of the way. However, seeing him -safely returned, he put the best face he could upon the matter and asked -Perseus how he had succeeded. - -"Have you performed your promise?" inquired he. "Have you brought me -the head of Medusa with the snaky locks? If not, young man, it will -cost you dear; for I must have a bridal present for the beautiful -Princess Hippodamia, and there is nothing else that she would admire so -much." - -"Yes, please your Majesty," answered Perseus, in a quiet way, as if it -were no very wonderful deed for such a young man as he to perform. "I -have brought you the Gorgon's head, snaky locks and all!" - -"Indeed! Pray let me see it," quoth King Polydectes. "It must be a -very curious spectacle, if all that travellers tell about it be true!" - -"Your Majesty is in the right," replied Perseus. "It is really an -object that will be pretty certain to fix the regards of all who 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 summoned to behold -this wonderful curiosity. Few of them, I imagine, have seen a Gorgon's -head before, and perhaps never may again!" - -The king well knew that his subjects were an idle set of reprobates, and -very fond of sight-seeing, as idle persons usually are. So he took the -young man's advice, and sent out heralds and messengers, in all -directions, to blow the trumpet at the street-corners, and in the -market-places, and wherever two roads met, and summon everybody to -court. 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 -such), they stayed quietly at home, minding their own business, and -taking care of their little children. Most of the inhabitants, at all -events, ran as fast as they could to the palace, and shoved, and pushed, -and elbowed one another, in their eagerness to get near a balcony, on -which Perseus showed himself, holding the embroidered wallet in his -hand. - -On a platform, within full view of the balcony, sat the mighty King -Polydectes, amid his evil counsellors, and with his flattering courtiers -in a semicircle round about him. Monarch, counsellors, courtiers, and -subjects, all gazed eagerly towards Perseus. - -"Show us the head! Show us the head!" shouted the people; and there was -a fierceness in their cry as if they would tear Perseus to pieces, -unless he should satisfy them with what he had to show. "Show us the -head of Medusa with the snaky locks!" - -A feeling of sorrow and pity came over the youthful Perseus. - -"O King Polydectes," cried he, "and ye many people, I am very loath to -show you the Gorgon's head!" - -"Ah, the villain and coward!" yelled the people, more fiercely than -before. "He is making game of us! He has no Gorgon's head! Show us -the head, if you have it, or we will take your own head for a football!" - -The evil counsellors whispered bad advice in the king's ear; the -courtiers murmured, with one consent, that Perseus had shown disrespect -to their royal lord and master; and the great King Polydectes himself -waved his hand, and ordered him, with the stern, deep voice of -authority, on his peril, to produce the bead. - -"Show me the Gorgon's head, or I will cut off your own!" - -And Perseus sighed. - -"This instant," repeated Polydectes, "or you die!" - -"Behold it, then!" cried Perseus, in a voice like the blast of a -trumpet. - -And, suddenly holding up the head, not an eyelid had time to wink before -the wicked King Polydectes, his evil counsellors, and all his fierce -subjects were no longer anything 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, they -whitened into marble! And Perseus thrust the head back into his wallet, -and went to tell his dear mother that she need no longer be afraid of -the wicked King Polydectes. - - - -TANGLEWOOD PORCH. - -AFTER THE STORY. - -"Is not that a very fine story?" asked Eustace. - -"O yes, yes!" cried Cowslip, clapping her hands. "And those funny old -women, with only one eye amongst them! I never heard of anything so -strange." - -"As to their one tooth, which they shifted about," observed Primrose, -"there was nothing so very wonderful in that. I suppose it was a false -tooth. But think of your turning Mercury into Quicksilver, and talking -about his sister! You are too ridiculous!" - -"And was she not his sister?" asked Eustace Bright. "If I had thought -of it sooner, I would have described her as a maiden lady, who kept a -pet owl!" - -"Well, at any rate," said Primrose, "your story seems to have driven -away the mist." - -And, indeed, while the tale was going forward, the vapors had been quite -exhaled from the landscape. A scene was now disclosed which the -spectators might almost fancy as having been created since they had last -looked in the direction where it lay. About half a mile distant, in the -lap of the valley, now appeared a beautiful lake, which reflected a -perfect image of its own wooded banks, and of the summits of the more -distant hills. It gleamed in glassy tranquillity, without the trace of -a winged breeze on any part of its bosom. Beyond its farther shore was -Monument Mountain, in a recumbent position, stretching almost across the -valley. Eustace Bright compared it to a huge, headless sphinx, wrapped -in a Persian shawl; and, indeed, so rich and diversified was the -autumnal foliage of its woods, that the simile of the shawl was by no -means too high-colored for the reality. In the lower ground, between -Tanglewood and the lake, the clumps of trees and borders of woodland -were chiefly golden-leaved or dusky brown, as having suffered more from -frost than the foliage on the hillsides. - -Over all this scene there was a genial sunshine, intermingled with a -slight haze, which made it unspeakably soft and tender. O, what a day -of Indian summer was it going to be! The children snatched their -baskets, and set forth, with hop, skip, and jump, and all sorts of -frisks and gambols; while Cousin Eustace proved his fitness to preside -over the party, by outdoing all their antics, and performing several new -capers, which none of them could ever hope to imitate. Behind went a -good old dog, whose name was Ben. He was one of the most respectable -and kind-hearted of quadrupeds, and probably felt it to be his duty not -to trust the children away from their parents without some better -guardian than this feather-brained Eustace Bright. - - - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Gorgon's Head, by Nathaniel Hawthorne - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GORGON'S HEAD *** - -***** This file should be named 9255.txt or 9255.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - https://www.gutenberg.org/9/2/5/9255/ - -Produced by David Widger. HTML version by Al Haines - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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