the sickle-sword he took her head off. There was no scream
from the Gorgon, but the serpents upon her head hissed loudly.

Still with his face turned from it he lifted up the head by its tangle
of serpents. He put it into the magic pouch. He rose up in the air. But
now the Gorgon sisters were awake. They had heard the hiss of Medusa's
serpents, and now they looked upon her headless body. They rose up on
their golden wings, and their brazen hands were stretched out to tear
the one who had slain Medusa. As they flew after him they screamed
aloud.

Although he flew like the wind the Gorgon sisters would have overtaken
him if he had been plain to their eyes. But the dogskin cap of Hades
saved him, for the Gorgon sisters did not know whether he was above or
below them, behind or before them. On Perseus went, flying toward where
Atlas stood. He flew over this place, over Libya. Drops of blood from
Medusa's head fell down upon the desert. They were changed and became
the deadly serpents that are on these sands and around these rocks. On
and on Perseus flew toward Atlas and toward the hidden valley where the
nymphs who were again to guard the magic treasures had their dwelling
place. But before he came to the nymphs Perseus had another adventure.

In Ethopia, which is at the other side of Libya, there ruled a king
whose name was Cepheus. This king had permitted his queen to boast that
she was more beautiful than the nymphs of the sea. In punishment for
the queen's impiety and for the king's folly Poseidon sent a monster
out of the sea to waste that country. Every year the monster came,
destroying more and more of the country of Ethopia. Then the king asked
of an oracle what he should do to save his land and his people. The
oracle spoke of a dreadful thing that he would have to do--he would
have to sacrifice his daughter, the beautiful Princess Andromeda.

The king was forced by his savage people to take the maiden Andromeda
and chain her to a rock on the seashore, leaving her there for the
monster to devour her, satisfying himself with that prey.

Perseus, flying near, heard the maiden's laments. He saw her lovely
body bound with chains to the rock. He came near her, taking the cap of
darkness off his head. She saw him, and she bent her head in shame, for
she thought that he would think that it was for some dreadful fault of
her own that she had been left chained in that place.

Her father had stayed near. Perseus saw him