36 THE GORGON’S HEAD.

will find yourself as light-heeled as you can desire, for
the remainder of our journey.”

So Perseus proceeded to put one of the slippers on,
while he laid the other on the ground by his side. Un-
expectedly, however, this other slipper spread its wings,
fluttered up off the ground, and would probably have
flown away, if Quicksilver had not made a leap, and
luckily caught it in the air.

“Be more careful,’ said he, as he gave it back to
Perseus. ‘‘ It would frighten the birds, up aloft, if they
should see a flying slipper amongst them.”

When Perseus had got on both of these wonderful
slippers, he was altogether too buoyant to tread on earth.
Making a step or two, lo and behold! upward he popt
into the air, high above the heads of Quicksilver and the
Nymphs, and found it very difficult to clamber down
again. Winged slippers, and all such high-flying contriv-
auces, are seldom quite easy to manage, until one grows
a little accustomed to them. Quicksilver laughed at lis
companion’s involuntary activity, and told him that he
must not be in so desperate a hurry, but must wait for
the invisible helmet.

The good-natured Nymphs had the helmet, with its
dark tuft of waving plumes, all in readiness to put upon
his head. And now there happened about as wonderful
an incident as anything that I have yet told you. The
instant before the helmet was put on, there stood Per-
seus, a beautiful young man, with golden ringlets and rosy
cheeks, the crooked sword by his side, and the brightly
polished shield upon his arm, —a figure that seemed all