ved fishing of all things, had his
house near the shore. Soon they saw the light shining up from the
opening in the roof of the hall; and the wife of Dictys came running
out, crying: 'Good sport?' when she heard their voices and footsteps.

'Rare sport,' shouted Dictys cheerily, and he led in Danae, and gave the
child into the arms of his wife. Then they were taken to the warm baths,
and dressed in fresh raiment. Food was set before them, and presently
Danae and Perseus slept on soft beds, with coverlets of scarlet wool.

Dictys and his wife never asked Danae any questions about how and why
she came floating on the sea through the night. News was carried quickly
enough from the mainland to the islands by fishers in their boats and
merchant men, and pedlars. Dictys heard how the king of Argos had
launched his daughter and her son on the sea, hoping that both would be
drowned. All the people knew in the island, which was called Seriphos,
and they hated the cruelty of Acrisius, and many believed that Perseus
was the son of Zeus.

If the news from Argos reached Seriphos, we may guess that the news from
Seriphos reached Argos, and that Acrisius heard how a woman as beautiful
as a goddess, with a boy of the race of the gods, had drifted to the
shore of the little isle. Acrisius knew, and fear grew about his heart,
fear that was sharper as the years went on, while Perseus was coming to
his manhood. Acrisius often thought of ways by which he might have his
grandson slain; but none of them seemed safe. By the time when Perseus
was fifteen, Acrisius dared not go out of doors, except among the
spears of his armed guards, and he was so eaten up by fear that it would
have been happier for him if he had never been born.

II

THE VOW OF PERSEUS

It was fortunate for Perseus that Dictys treated him and taught him like
his own son, and checked him if he was fierce and quarrelsome, as so
strong a boy was apt to be. He was trained in all the exercises of young
men, the use of spear and sword, shield and bow; and in running,
leaping, hunting, rowing, and the art of sailing a boat. There were no
books in Seriphos, nobody could read or write; but Perseus was told the
stories of old times, and of old warriors who slew monsters by sea and
land. Most of the monsters had been killed, as Perseus was sorry to
hear, for he desired to try his own luck with them when he came to be a
man. But the most terrible of all, the Gorgons, who we