2() THE GORGON’S HEAD.

of Medusa with the snaky locks. Everybody was re-
joiced ; 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 hap-
pen to Danaé 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. J hardly know what sort of crea-
ture 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, in-
stead 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 some-
thing as hard and impenetrable. They had wings, too,