THE GORGON’S HEAD. 4d
for I must have a bridal present for the beautiful Prin-
cess Hippodamia, and there is nothing else that she
would admire so much.”

“Yes, please your Majesty,” answered Perseus, in a
quiet way, as if it were no very wonderful deed for such
a young manas he to perform. “I have brought you
the Gorgon’s head, snaky locks and all!”

“Indeed! Pray let me see it,” quoth King Polydee.
tes. “It must be avery curious spectacle, if all that
travellers tell about it be true!”

“Your Majesty is in the right,” replied Perseus. “Tt
is really an object that will be pretty certain to fix
the regards of all who look at it. And, if your Majesty
think fit, I would suggest that a holiday be proclaimed,
and that all your Majesty’s subjects be summoned to be-
hold this wonderful curiosity. Few of them, I imagine,
have seen a Gorgon’s head before, and perhaps never
may again! ”

The king well knew that his subjects were an idle set
of reprobates, and very fond of sight-seeing, as idle
persons usually are. So he took the young man’s ad-
vice, and sent out heralds and messengers, in all direc-
tions, to blow the trumpet at the street-corners, and in
the market-places, and wherever two roads met, and
summon everybody to court. Thither, accordingly, came
a great multitude of good-for-nothing vagabonds, all of
whom, out of pure love of mischief, would have been
glad if Perseus had met with some ill-hap, in his encoun-
ter with the Gorgons. If there were any better people
in the island (as I really hope there may have been, al-