were forced in the end to give up Andromeda to save their country. This,
then, was why she had been chained to the rock by the shore and left
there to perish in the jaws of the beast.

While Perseus was yet talking with Andromeda, the king and the queen and
a great company of people came down the shore, weeping and tearing their
hair; for they were sure that by this time the monster had devoured his
prey. But when they saw her alive and well, and learned that she had
been saved by the handsome young man who stood beside her, they could
hardly hold themselves for joy. And Perseus was so delighted with
Andromeda's beauty that he almost forgot his quest which was not yet
finished; and when the king asked him what he should give him as a
reward for saving Andromeda's life, he said:

"Give her to me for my wife."

This pleased the king very much; and so, on the seventh day, Perseus and
Andromeda were married, and there was a great feast in the king's
palace, and everybody was merry and glad. And the two young people lived
happily for some time in the land of palms and pyramids; and, from the
sea to the mountains, nothing was talked about but the courage of
Perseus and the beauty of Andromeda.

[Illustration: "THE KING SAW IT AND WAS TURNED INTO STONE."]

VII. THE TIMELY RESCUE.

But Perseus had not forgotten his mother; and so, one fine summer day,
he and Andromeda sailed in a beautiful ship to his own home; for the
Magic Slippers could not carry both him and his bride through the air.
The ship came to land at the very spot where the wooden chest had been
cast so many years before; and Perseus and his bride walked through the
fields towards the town.

Now, the wicked king of that land had never ceased trying to persuade
Danae to become his wife; but she would not listen to him, and the more
he pleaded and threatened, the more she disliked him. At last when he
found that she could not be made to have him, he declared that he would
kill her; and on this very morning he had started out, sword in hand, to
take her life.

So, as Perseus and Andromeda came into the town, whom should they meet
but his mother fleeing to the altar of Jupiter, and the king following
after, intent on killing her? Danae was so frightened that she did not
see Perseus, but ran right on towards the only place of safety. For it
was a law of that land that not even the king should be allowed to harm
any one who took refuge on the altar of J