Read Online Favorite Greek Myths (Yesterday's Classics) by Lilian Stoughton Hyde - Free Book Online
Authors: Lilian Stoughton Hyde
Tags: Juvenile Fiction
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there was a hoarse roar, and a dashing up of spray, out at sea. Perseus hastily took the heavy Medusa's head from his pouch and laid it on the rocks, covering it carefully with seaweed. Then he spread the wings of his sandals and dashed up among the clouds.
There was another hoarse roar, much nearer now. Soon Andromeda saw the sea-monster coming, holding its great serpent-like head high and ploughing up the water like a war-galley. The next moment Perseus darted down from the sky and hovered over the monster, his sword and shield sparkling in the sun. The creature saw his shadow on the water, and snapped at it savagely. Then straight down Perseus dashed, and before the sea-monster could turn and tear him with its teeth, which were as sharp as knives, he had buried the crooked sword to the hilt in its shoulder. The sea-monster gave a most frightful roar, then turned over on its back, and floated quietly on the water. Andromeda was saved.
When Perseus went back to Andromeda on her rock, he easily cut her chains with his wonderful sword. Then taking up the Medusa's head to put it into the pouch again, he found that the seaweeds with which he had covered it were turned to hard stone, and were as red as the. drops of blood which had fallen on them from the Medusa's head. When the Nereids came to play on the shore, they found these strange seaweeds, and scattered the seeds far and wide. Fishermen still believe that the beautiful corals of those coasts came from these seeds.
Meanwhile, the king and queen and all the people had heard the sea-monster's roaring, and had gathered on the shore. When they saw that the monster of which they stood in such terror was really dead, what a cheer they sent up! King Cepheus said that Perseus should marry the Princess Andromeda, and should have the whole kingdom with her.
The people immediately set about making preparations for the wedding-feast. They hung wreaths of flowers on all the houses of the town; they threw perfumes into the open fires; they played on pipes and lyres, and sang and danced to the music. When all was ready, the doors of the royal palace were thrown open and the nobles were invited to the feast.
But there was one noble in King Cepheus's realms who did not rejoice with the rest; this was Phineus, to whom Andromeda had been promised in marriage. He had had nothing to say when Andromeda had been chained to the rock and left to serve as a breakfast for the sea-monster; but now he was ready to defend his rights. So he gathered together all the armed men he could command, that is, all his retainers, and while the wedding-feast was going on, broke into the courts of the palace and then into the great dining-hall itself. As he entered the hall, he shouted his war-cry and hurled a lance at Perseus, but missed his aim. Perseus would have flung back a heavy bronze bowl which he hastily caught up from the table, but Phineus ran to the altar for protection.
After this, a general fight began between the king's men and the followers of Phineus. Lances and javelins flew back and forth. Andromeda and her mother and their ladies ran screaming from the room. Phineus's men, although their cause was so unjust, were getting the best of the fight. They had Perseus hemmed in, in a corner, and had driven nearly all the king's men from the room, when Perseus suddenly shouted, "If any of my friends are here, let them turn away their faces." As he spoke, he held up the Medusa's head, at which Phineus and all his men stiffened into marble statues, and neither Perseus nor the king had anything more to fear from them.
King Cepheus would have been glad to have Perseus stay in Libya, and would willingly have given him half or even the whole of the kingdom with Andromeda, as he had said; but Perseus was anxious to go to Seriphus. So the king fitted out a ship for him, and sent men to row it. Then all the people gathered on the shore, and bade Perseus and Andromeda farewell.
III
The Home-Coming of
There was another hoarse roar, much nearer now. Soon Andromeda saw the sea-monster coming, holding its great serpent-like head high and ploughing up the water like a war-galley. The next moment Perseus darted down from the sky and hovered over the monster, his sword and shield sparkling in the sun. The creature saw his shadow on the water, and snapped at it savagely. Then straight down Perseus dashed, and before the sea-monster could turn and tear him with its teeth, which were as sharp as knives, he had buried the crooked sword to the hilt in its shoulder. The sea-monster gave a most frightful roar, then turned over on its back, and floated quietly on the water. Andromeda was saved.
When Perseus went back to Andromeda on her rock, he easily cut her chains with his wonderful sword. Then taking up the Medusa's head to put it into the pouch again, he found that the seaweeds with which he had covered it were turned to hard stone, and were as red as the. drops of blood which had fallen on them from the Medusa's head. When the Nereids came to play on the shore, they found these strange seaweeds, and scattered the seeds far and wide. Fishermen still believe that the beautiful corals of those coasts came from these seeds.
Meanwhile, the king and queen and all the people had heard the sea-monster's roaring, and had gathered on the shore. When they saw that the monster of which they stood in such terror was really dead, what a cheer they sent up! King Cepheus said that Perseus should marry the Princess Andromeda, and should have the whole kingdom with her.
The people immediately set about making preparations for the wedding-feast. They hung wreaths of flowers on all the houses of the town; they threw perfumes into the open fires; they played on pipes and lyres, and sang and danced to the music. When all was ready, the doors of the royal palace were thrown open and the nobles were invited to the feast.
But there was one noble in King Cepheus's realms who did not rejoice with the rest; this was Phineus, to whom Andromeda had been promised in marriage. He had had nothing to say when Andromeda had been chained to the rock and left to serve as a breakfast for the sea-monster; but now he was ready to defend his rights. So he gathered together all the armed men he could command, that is, all his retainers, and while the wedding-feast was going on, broke into the courts of the palace and then into the great dining-hall itself. As he entered the hall, he shouted his war-cry and hurled a lance at Perseus, but missed his aim. Perseus would have flung back a heavy bronze bowl which he hastily caught up from the table, but Phineus ran to the altar for protection.
After this, a general fight began between the king's men and the followers of Phineus. Lances and javelins flew back and forth. Andromeda and her mother and their ladies ran screaming from the room. Phineus's men, although their cause was so unjust, were getting the best of the fight. They had Perseus hemmed in, in a corner, and had driven nearly all the king's men from the room, when Perseus suddenly shouted, "If any of my friends are here, let them turn away their faces." As he spoke, he held up the Medusa's head, at which Phineus and all his men stiffened into marble statues, and neither Perseus nor the king had anything more to fear from them.
King Cepheus would have been glad to have Perseus stay in Libya, and would willingly have given him half or even the whole of the kingdom with Andromeda, as he had said; but Perseus was anxious to go to Seriphus. So the king fitted out a ship for him, and sent men to row it. Then all the people gathered on the shore, and bade Perseus and Andromeda farewell.
III
The Home-Coming of
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