tt Pac SSR ge cee eee mabe Sr) 9a Pam aD GaETaMBD PLP a.Uie ca csoeae eh amas MARRABARIMMROL I coke eee me coat aoe deo Ldn aman ei armas ee ao ee ot ee EE CEASA SR ; rts ; A = 2 c Ss : Deane Fe ea Pee og ca See ea ST eS ee SAU RR Se << RENE NR Seip PE a i ais bee * Gy - as ¥ ‘ a a ; a GZ a a if a, thst st * oo The Baldwin Library University mB a NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE'S WORKS. Ge NEW ILLUSTRATED LIBRARY EDITION. Nine vols. remo. Price, per vol. ...... cece cece cee ce cece $ 2.00 Twice-Told Tales. The English Note-Books. Mosses from an Old Manse. The American Note-Books. The Scarlet Letter, and The | The French and Italian Note- Blithedale Romance. Books. The House of the Seven Gables, | Our Old Home, and Septimius and The Snow Image. Felton. The Marble Faun. HOUSEHOLD EDITION. Complete, 21 vols., on Tinted Paper, in Box........ co eteree $ 42.00 SEPARATE WORKS. OUR OLD HOME. 6M0.....ccccccccccccccsccccccccececs $ 2.00 THE MARBLE FAUN. 2volS. 16M0.....cccccccccecces 4.00 THE SCARLET LETTER, 16M0. ...... ccc cece cece ceoes 2.00 THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES. 16mo....... 2.00 TWICE-TOLD TALES, With Portrait. 2vols. 16mo... 4.00 THE SNOW-IMAGE, and Other Twice-Told Tales ...... 2.00 THE BLITHEDALE ROMANCE. 16M0......cccccceees 2.00 MOSSES FROM AN OLD MANSE, 2 vols. 16mo..... 4.00 AMERICAN NOTE-BOOKS,. 2 vols. 16M0..........06 4.00 ENGLISH NOTE-BOOKS. 2 vols. r6M0.....eee ee eees 4.00 FRENCH AND ITALIAN NOTE-BOOKS. 2 vols. 16mo. 4.00 SEPTIMIUS FELTON, or, The Elixir of Life. 16m0... 1.50 TWICE-TOLD TALES. With Portrait. Blue and Gold. ZVOIS, Z32MO, cc cecc recs cn cccccscncceercccscsseeeeencecs 3.00 JUVENILES. TRUE STORIES FROM HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY. Illustrated. L6M0....... cece cece cece ete e ese ceceeecceees 1.50 THE WONDER-BOOK. Illustrated. 16mo............... 1.50 TANGLEWOOD TALES. Illustrated. 16mo............. 1.50 *" For sale by all Booksellers. Sent, post-paid, on recetpt of price by the Publishers, JAMES R. OSGOOD & CO., Boston. {Wlouter-Boo POR GIRLS AD BOTS. NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE. iia) SI ea Se = ae |) =" ae 3 ———\ SR ———————— ——— OSS : oo BOSTON: JAMES R. OSGOOD AND COMPANY, Late Ticknor & Fields, and Fields, Osgood, & Co. 1876. COPYRIGHT, 1852. BY NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE. - University Press: Wetcu, BIGELow, & Co., | CAMBRIDGE. rendered into very capital reading for children. In the httle volume here offered to the public, he has worked up half a dozen of them, with this end in view. A great freedom of treatment was necessary to his plan ; but it will be observed by every one who attempts to render these legends malleable in his intellectual furnace, that they are marvellously independent of all temporary modes and circumstances. They remain essentially the same, after changes that would affect the identity of almost anything else. He does not, therefore, plead guilty to a sacrilege, in having sometimes shaped anew, as his fancy dictated, the forms that have been hallowed by an antiquity of two or three thousand years. No epoch of time can claim a copyright in these immortal fables. They seem never al PREFACE. to have been made; and certainly, so long as man exists, they can never perish; but, by their indestructi- bility itself, they are legitimate subjects for every age to clothe with its own garniture of manners and sentiment, and to imbue with its own morality. In the present version they may have lost much of their classical aspect (or, at all events, the author has not been careful to preserve it), and have, perhaps, assumed a Gothic or romantic guise. In performing this pleasant task, —for it has been really a task fit for hot weather, and one of the most agreeable, of a literary kind, which he ever undertook, — the author has not always thought it necessary to write downward, in order to meet the comprehension of chil- dren. He has generally suffered the theme to soar, whenever such was its tendency, and when he himself was buoyant enough to follow without an effort. Chil- dren possess an unestimated sensibility to whatever is deep or high, m imagination or feeling, so long as it is simple, likewise. It is only the artificial and the com- plex that bewilder them. LENox, July 15, 1851. PAGE PREFACE , ° oe ‘ ° ° ° ‘ 5 THE GORGON’S HEAD. TANGLEWOOD Porcu. — Introductory to ‘“ The Gor- gon’s Head” yx. , , . , . tdi THE Gorcon’s Heap. er . 17 TaNGLEWoop Porc. — After the Story. . ~ 48 THE GOLDEN TOUCH. SHapow Brook. — Introductory to “The Golden Touch”. , ; . . . ; . 58 THE GortpEen Toucu , ; . . . 57 SHapow Brook. — After the Story . ‘ ~ 09 THE PARADISE OF CHILDREN. TANGLEWooD Piay-Room.— Introductory to ‘“ The Paradise of Children”’ . . . . . . 85 THE PARADISE OF CHILDREN . . . . 89 TANGLEWOOD Piay-Room, — After the Story . ~ 110— Vill CONTENTS. THE TIIREE GOLDEN APPLES. TANGLEWOOD FirestpE. — Introductory to “ The Three Golden Apples” . , . . , . LIS THE THREE GOLDEN APPLES . . , 121 TANGLEWOOD FirestpE. — After the Story ; . 147 THE MIRACULOUS PITCHER. THE HILLsIpDE. — Introductory to ‘The Miraculous Pitcher”. . . . . . . 158 THE Mrracvrous PITCHER . . . . 157 Tar Hurston. — After the Story . , , . 182 THE CHIMERA. Baup-Summit. — Introductory to “The Chimera”? . 187 THE CHIMHRA ... to, . 191 BaLp-Summir. — After the Story . . , » 220 PPLE THE GORGON’S HEAD. * TANGLEWOOD PORCH. INTRODUCTORY TO “THE GORGON’S HEAD.” Ey Tanglewood, one fine autumnal morning, was i>) assembled a merry party of little folks, with a tall youth in the midst of them. They had planned a nutting expedition, and were impatiently waiting for the mists to roll up the hill-slopes, and for the sun to pour the warmth of the Indian summer over the fields and pastures, and into the nooks of the many-colored woods. There was a prospect of as fine a day as ever gladdened the aspeet. of this beautiful and comfortable world. As yet, however, the morning mist filled up the whole length and breadth of the valley, above which, on a gently sloping eminence, the mansion stood. This body of white vapor extended to within less than a hundred yards of the house. It completely hid every- thing beyond that distance, except a few ruddy or yellow tree-tops, which here and there emerged, and were glori- fied by the early sunshine, as was likewise the broad sur- face of the mist. Four or five miles off to the south- 12 TANGLEWOOD PORCH. ward rose the summit of Monument Mountain, .and seemed to be floating on a cloud. Some fifteen miles farther away, in the same direction, appeared the loftier Dome of Taconic, looking blue and indistinct, and hardly so substantial as the vapory sea that almost rolled over it. The nearer hills, which bordered the valley, were half submerged, and were specked with. little cloud- wreaths all the way to their tops. On the whole, there was so much cloud, and so little solid earth, that it had the effect of a vision. The. children above-mentioned, being as full of life as they could hold, kept overflowing from the porch of Tanglewood, and scampering along the gravel-walk, or rushing across the dewy herbage of the lawn. I can hardly tell how many of these small people there were ; not less than nine or ten, however, nor more than a dozen, of all sorts, sizes, and ages, whether girls or boys. They were brothers, sisters, and cousins, together with a few of their young acquaintances, who had been invited by Mr. and Mrs. Pringle to spend some of this delight- ful weather with their own children, at Tanglewood. I am afraid to tell you their names, or even to give them any names which other children have ever been called by ; because, to my certain knowledge, authors sometimes get themselves into great trouble by accidentally giving the names of real persons to the characters in their books. For this reason, I mean to call them Primrose, Peri- winkle, Sweet Fern, Dandelion, Blue Eye, Clover, Huckleberry, Cowslip, Squash-blossom, Milkweed, Plan- tam, and Buttercup; although, to be sure, such titles TANGLEWOOD PORCH. 13 might better suit a group of fairies than a company of earthly children. It is not to be supposed that these little folks were to be permitted by their careful fathers and mothers, uncles, aunts, or grandparents, to stray abroad into the woods and fields, without the guardianship of some particularly grave and elderly person. O no, indeed! In the first sentence of my book, you will recollect that I spoke of a tall youth, standing in the midst of the children. His name — (and I shall let you know his real name, because he considers it a great honor to have told the stories that are here to be printed) — his name was Eustace Bright. He was a student at Williams College, and had reached, I think, at this period, the venerable age of eighteen years; so that he felt quite like a grandfather towards Periwinkle, Dandelion, Huckleberry, Squash-blossom, Milkweed, and the rest, who were only half or a third as venerable as he. A trouble in his eyesight (such as many students think it necessary to have, nowadays, in order to prove their diligence at their books) had kept him from college a week or two after the beginning of the term. But, for my part, I have seldom met with a pair of eyes that looked as if they could see farther or better than those of Eustace Bright. This learned student was slender, and rather pale, as all Yankee students are; but yet of a healthy aspect, and as light and active as if he had wings to his shoes. By the by, bemg much addicted to wading through stream- lets and across meadows, he had put on cowhide boots for the expedition. He wore a linen blouse, a cloth cap, 14 TANGLEWOOD PORCH. and a pair of green spectacles, which he had assumed, probably, less for the preservation of his eyes, than for the dignity that they imparted to his countenance. In either case, however, he mght as well have Iet them alone; for Huckleberry, a mischievous little elf, crept behind Eustace as he sat on the steps of the porch, snatched the spectacles from his nose, and clapped them on her own; and as the student forgot to take them back, they fell off into the grass, and lay there -till the next spring. Now, Eustace Bright, you must know, had won great fame among the children, as a narrator of wonderful stories; and though he sometimes pretended to be an- noyed, when they teased him for more, and more, and always for more, yet I really doubt whether he liked anything quite so well as to tell them. You might have seen his eyes twinkle, therefore, when Clover, Sweet Fern, Cowslip, Buttereup, and most of their playmates, besought him to relate one of his stories, while they were waiting for the mist to elear up. “Yes, Cousin Eustaee,’’ said Primrose, who was a bright girl of twelve, with laughing eyes, and a nose - that turned up a little, “the morning 1s certainly the best time for the stories with which you so often tire out our patience. We shall be in less danger of hurting your feelings, by falling asleep at the most. interesting points, — as little Cowslip and I did last night!” “Naughty Primrose,” cried Cowslip, a child of six years old; “I did not fall asleep, and I only shut my eyes, so as to see a picture of what Cousin Eustace was TANGLEWOOD PORCH. 15 telling about. His stories are good to hear at night, because we can dream about them asleep; and good in the morning, too, because then we can dream about them awake. So I hope he will tell us one this very minute.” “Thank you, my little Cowslip,” said Eustace; “cer- tainly you shall have the best story I can think of, if it were only for defending me so well from that naughty Primrose. But, children, I have already told you so many fairy tales, that I doubt whether there is a single one which you have not heard at least twice over. I am afraid you will fall asleep in reality, if I repeat any of them again.” “No, no, no!” cried Blue Eye, Periwinkle, Plantain, and half a dozen others. “ We like a story all the better for having heard it two or three times before.” And it is a truth, as regards children, that a story seems often to deepen its mark in their interest, not merely by two or three, but by numberless repetitions. But Hustace Bright, in the exuberance of his resources, scorned to avail himself of an advantage which an older story-teller would have been glad to grasp at. “It would be a great pity,” said he, “if a man of my learning (to say nothing of original fancy) could not find a new story every day, year in and year out, for children such as you. I will tell you one of the nursery tales that were made for the amusement of our great old grandmother, the Harth, when she was a child in frock and pinafore. There are a hundred such; and it is a wonder to me that they have not long ago been put into picture-books for little girls and boys. But, instead of 16 TANGLEWOOD PORCH. that, old gray-bearded grandsires pore over them, In musty volumes of Greek, and puzzle themselves with try- ing to find out when, and how, and for what they were made.” | “Well, well, well, well, Cousin Eustace!” eried all the children at once; “talk no more about your stories, but begin.” “Sit down, then, every soul of you,” said Eustace Bright, “and be all as still as so many mice. At the slightest interruption, whether from great, naughty Prim- rose, little Dandelion, or any other, I shall bite the story short off between my teeth, and swallow the untold part. But, in the first place, do any of you know what a Gor- gon is P” “I do,” said Primrose. “Then hold your tongue!” rejoimed Eustace, who had rather she would have known nothing about the matter. - “Hold all your tongues, and I shall tell you a sweet pretty story of a Gorgon’s head.” And so he did, as you may begin to read on the next page. Working up his sophomorical erudition with a good deal of tact, and incurring great obligations to Pro- fessor Anthon, he, nevertheless, disregarded all classical authorities, whenever the vagrant audacity of his imagina- tion impelled him to do so. Ce a ear cw EOL G wal NY Le yl Gg \ WH SG "] sf INE See ~ VW ZNLUSYS S Zp EB Hf fl \ Ry i 7 Mee Pi i \ Zi , 7 Hi, HS es cipy ye. = 4 Xd a Sf FF. I . IS sys ews z ANAS ROR EO CARROL on THE GORGON’S HEAD. SIE RSEUS was the son of Danaé, who was the daughter of a king. And when Perseus was a very little boy, some wicked people put his mother and himself ito a chest, and set them afloat upon the sea. The wind blew freshly, and drove the chest away from the shore, and the uneasy billows tossed it up and down; while Danaé clasped her child closely to her bosom, and dreaded that some big wave would dash its foamy crest over them both. The chest sailed on, how- ever, and neither sank nor was upset; until, when night was coming, it floated so near an island that it got en- tangled in a fisherman’s nets, and was drawn out high and dry upon the sand. The island was called Seriphus, and it was reigned over by King Polydectes, who hap- pened to be the fisherman’s brother. This fisherman, I am glad to tell you, was an exceed- ingly humane and upright man. He showed great kind- ness to Danaé and her little boy; and continued to be- friend them, until Perseus had grown to be a handsome B 18 THE GORGON’S HEAD. youth, very strong and active, and skilful in the use of arms. Long before this time, King Polydectes had seen the two strangers —the mother and her child — who had come to his dominions in a floating chest. As he was not good and kind, like his brother the fisherman, but extremely wicked, he resolved to send Perseus on a dangerous enterprise, in which he would probably be killed, and then to do some great mischief to Danaé her- self. So this bad-hearted king spent a long while in con- sidering what was the most dangerous thing that a young man could possibly undertake to perform. At last, hav- ing hit upon an enterprise that promised to turn out as fatally as he desired, he sent for the youthful Perseus. The young man came to the palace, and found the king sitting upon his throne. “ Perseus,” said King Polydectes, smiling craftily upon him, “you are grown up afine young man. You,and your good mother have received a great deal of kindness from myself, as well as from my worthy brother the fish- erman, and I suppose you would not be sorry to repay some of it.”’ ‘Please your Majesty,”’ answered Perseus, “I would willingly risk my life to do so.” “Well, then,” continued the king, still with a cunning smile on his lips, “I have a little adventure to propose to you; and, as you are a brave and enterprising youth, you will doubtless look upon it as‘a great piece of good luck to have so rare an opportunity of distinguishing yourself. You must know, my good Perseus, I think of getting married to the beautiful Princess Hippodamia ; THE GORGON’S HEAD. 19 and if is customary, on these occasions, to make the bride a present of some far-fetched and elegant curiosity. I have been a little perplexed, I must honestly confess, where to obtain anything likely to please a princess of her exquisite taste. But, this morning, I flatter myself, I have thought of precisely the article.” “And can I assist your Majesty in obtaining it?” cried Perseus, eagerly. “You can, if you are as brave a youth as I believe you to be,” replied King Polydectes, with the utmost graciousness of manner. ‘ The bridal gift which I have set my heart on presenting to the beautiful Hippodamia is the head of the Gorgon Medusa, with the snaky locks; and I depend on you, my dear Perseus, to bring it to me. So, as L am anxious to settle affairs with the princess, the sooner you go in quest of the Gorgon, the better I shall be pleased.” “YT will set out to-morrow morning,” answered Perseus. “Pray do so, my gallant youth,” rejoined the king. “And, Perseus, in cutting off the Gorgon’s head, be careful to make a clean stroke, so as not to injure its appearance. You must bring it home in the very best condition, in order to suit the exquisite taste of the beautiful Princess Hippodamia.” Perseus left the palace, but was scarcely out of hear- ing before Polydectes burst into a laugh; being greatly. amused, wicked king that he was, to find how readily the young man fell into the snare. The news quickly spread abroad, that Perseus had undertaken to cut off the head 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, THE GORGON’S TIEAD. 1 and exceedingly splendid ones, I can assure you; for every feather in them was pure, bright, glittering, bur- nished gold, and they looked very dazzlingly, no doubt, when the Gorgons were flying about in the sunshine. But when people happened to cateh a glimpse of ‘their glittering brightness, aloft in the air, they seldom stopped to gaze, but ran and hid themselves as speedily as they could. You will think, perhaps, that they were afraid of being stung by the serpents that served the Gorgons instead of hair, —or of having their heads bitten off by their ugly tusks, — or of being torn all to pieces by their brazen claws. Well, to be sure, these were some of the dangers, but by no means the greatest, nor the most diffi- cult to avoid. For the worst thing about these abomina- ble Gorgons was, that, if once a poor mortal fixed his eyes full upon one of their faces, he was certain, that very instant, to be changed from warm flesh and blood into cold and lifeless stone ! Thus, as you will easily perceive, it was a very danger- ous adventure that the wicked King Polydectes had con- trived for this Innocent young man. Perseus himself, when he had thought over the matter, could not help - seeing that he had very little chance of coming safely through it, and that he was far more likely to become a stone image than to bring back the head of Medusa with the snaky locks. For, not to speak of other difficulties, there was one which it would have puzzled an older man than Perseus to get over. Not only must he fight with and slay this golden-winged, iron-scaled, long-tusked, brazen-clawed, snaky-haired monster, but he must do it Oo THE GORGON’S HEAD. with his eyes shut, or, at least, without so much as a glance at the enemy with whom he was contending. - Else, while his arm was lifted to strike, he would stiffen ito stone, and stand with that uplifted arm for centuries, until time, and the wind and weather, should crumble him quite away. This would be a very sad thing to be- fall a young man who wanted to perform a great: many brave deeds, and to enjoy a great deal of happiness, in this bright and beautiful world. So disconsolate did these thoughts make him, that Perseus could not bear to tell his mother what he had undertaken to do. He therefore took his shield, girded on his sword, and crossed over from the island to the mainland, where he sat down in a solitary place, and hardly reframed from shedding tears. | But, while he was in this sorrowful mood, he heard a voice close beside him. “ Perseus,” said the voice, ‘why are you sad?” He lifted his head from his hands, in which he had hidden it, and, behold! all alone as Perseus had sup- posed himself to be, there was a stranger in the solitary place. It was a brisk, intelligent, and remarkably shrewd- looking young man, with a cloak over his shoulders, an odd sort of cap on his head, a strangely twisted staff in his hand, and a short and very crooked sword hanging by his side. He was exceedingly light and active in his figure, like a person much accustomed to gymnastic ex- ercises, and well able to leap or run. Above all, the stranger had such a cheerful, knowing, and helpful aspect (though it was certainly a little mischievous, into the THE GORGON’S HEAD. 93 bargain), that Perseus could not help feeling his spirits grow livelier, as he gazed at him. Besides, being really a courageous youth, he felt greatly ashamed that any- body should have found him with tears in his eyes, like a timid little school-boy, when, after all, there might be no oceasion for despair. So Perseus wiped his eyes, and answered the stranger pretty briskly, putting on as brave a look as he could. “T am not so very sad,” said he; ‘only thoughtful about an adventure that I have undertaken.” “Oho!” answered the stranger. ‘‘ Well, tell me all about it, and possibly I may be of service to you. I have helped a good many young men through adventures that looked d:fficult enough beforehand. Perhaps you may have heard of me. J have more names than one; but the name of Quicksilver suits me as well as any other. Tell me what your trouble is, and we will talk the matter over, and see what can be done.” The stranger’s words and manner put Perseus into quite a different mood from his former one. He resolved to tell Quicksilver all his difficulties, since he could not easily be worse off than he already was, and, very possibly, his new friend might give him some advice that would turn out well in the end. So he let the stranger know, in few words, precisely what the case was ; — how that King Polydectes wanted the head of Medusa with the snaky locks as a bridal gift for the beautiful Prmcess Hippo- damia, and how that he had undertaken to get it for him, but was afraid of being turned into stone. “ And that would be a great pity,” said Quicksilver, 9 4, TIE GORGON’S HEAD. with his mischievous smile. ‘ You would make a very handsome marble statue, it is true, and it would be a considerable number of centuries before you crumbled away; but, on the whole, one would rather be a young man for a few years, than a stone image for a great many.” . “QO, far rather!’ exclaimed Perseus, with the tears again standing in his eyes. ‘“‘ And, besides, what would my dear mother do, if her beloved son were turned into a stone?” “Well, well; let us hope that the affair will not turn out so very badly,” replied Quicksilver, in an encour- aging tone. ‘lam the very person to help you, if any- body can. My sister and myself will do our utmost to bring you safe through the adventure, ugly as it now looks.” “Your sister ?” repeated Perseus. “Yes, my sister,” said the stranger. ‘“‘She is very wise, I promise you; and as for myself, | generally have all my wits about me, such as they are. If you show | yourself bold and cautious, and follow our advice, you need not fear being a stone image yet awhile. But, first of all, you must polish your shield, till you can see your face in it as distinctly as in a mirror.” This seemed to Perseus rather an odd begmning of the adventure; for he thought it of far more conse- quence that the shield should be strong enough to defend © him from the Gorgon’s brazen claws, than that it should be bright enough to show him the reflection of his face. However, concluding that Quicksilver knew better than pw THE GORGON’S HEAD. 29 himself, le immediately set to work, and scrubbed the shield with so much diligence and good-will, that it very quickly shone like the moon at harvest-time. Quicksil- ver looked at it with a smile, and nodded his approbation. Then, taking off his own short and crooked sword, he girded it about Perseus, instead of the one which he had before worn. “No sword but mine will answer your purpose,” ob- served he; “the blade has a most excellent temper, and will cut through iron and brass as easily as through the slenderest twig. And now we will set out. The next thing is to find the Three Gray Women, who will tell us where to find the Nymphs.” “The Three Gray Women!” eried Perseus, to whom this seemed only a new difficulty in the path of his adven- ture; “pray, who may the Three Gray Women be? IT never heard of them before.” _ «They are three very strange old ladies,” said Quick- silver, laughing. ‘They have but one eye among them, and only one tooth. Moreover, you must find them out by starlight, or in the dusk of the evening; for they never show themselves by the light either of the sun or moon.’ “But,” said Perseus, “why should I waste my time with these Three Gray Women? Would it not be better to set out at once in search of the terrible Gorgons ?”’ “No, no,’ answered his friend. “There are other things to be done, before you can find your way to the Gorgons. There is nothing for it but to hunt up these old ladies; and when we meet with them, you may be 2 26 THE GORGON’S HEAD. sure that the Gorgons are not a great way off. Come, let us be stirring!” Perseus, by this time, felt so much confidence in his companion’s sagacity, that he made no more objections, and professed himself ready to begin the adventure im- mediately. They accordingly set out, and walked at a pretty brisk pace; so brisk, indeed, that Perseus found it rather d:fficult to keep up with his nimble friend Quick- silver. To say the truth, he had a singular idea that Quicksilver was furnished with a pair of winged shoes, which, of course, helped him along marvellously. And then, too, when Perseus looked sideways at him, out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to see wings on the side of his head; although, if he turned a full gaze, there were no such things to be perceived, but only an odd kind of cap. But, at all events, the twisted staff was evidently a great convenience to Quicksilver, and enabled him to proceed so fast, that Perseus, though a remark- ably active young man, began to be out of breath. “Here!” eried Quicksilver, at last,— for he knew well enough, rogue that he was, how hard Perseus found it to keep pace with him,— “take you the staff, for you need it a great deal more than I. Are there no better walkers than yourself, in the island of Seriphus ?” “T could walk pretty well,” said Perseus, glancing slyly at his companion’s feet, ‘if I had only a pair of winged shoes.” “We must see about getting you a pair,” answered Quicksilver. But the staff helped Perseus along so bravely, that he THE GORGON’S HEAD. 97 no longer felt the slightest weariness. In fact, the stick seemed to be alive in his hand, and to lend some of its life to Perseus. He and Quicksilver now walked onward at their ease, talking very sociably together; and Quick- silver told so many pleasant stories about his former ad- ventures, and how well his wits had served him on vari- ous occasions, that Perseus began to think him a very wonderful person. He evidently knew the world; and nobody is so charming to a young man as a friend who has that kind of knowledge. Perseus listened the more eagerly, in the hope of brightening his own wits by what he heard. At last, he happened to recollect that Quicksilver had spoken of a sister, who was to lend her assistance in the adventure which they were now bound upon. “Where is she?” he inquired. ‘Shall we not meet her soon ?” “All at the proper time,” said his companion. ‘“‘ But tlus sister of mine, you must understand, is quite a dif- ferent sort of character from myself. She is very grave and prudent, seldom smiles, never laughs, and makes it a rule not to utter a word unless she has something par- ticularly profound to say. Neither will she listen to any but the wisest conversation.” “Dear me!” ejaculated Perseus ; “I shall be afraid to say a syllable.” “She is a very accomplished person, I assure you,” continued Quicksilver, “ and has all the arts and sciences at her fingers’ ends. In short, she is so immoderately wise, that many people call her wisdom personified. But, 28 | THE GORGON’S HEAD. to tell you the truth, she has hardly vivacity enough for my taste; and I think you would scarcely find her so pleasant a travellmg companion as myself. She has her good points, nevertheless; and vou will find the benefit of them, in your encounter with the Gorgons.” By this time it had grown quite dusk. They were now come to a very wild and desert place, overgrown with shaggy bushes, and so silent and solitary that no- body seemed ever to have dwelt or journeyed there. All was waste and desolate, in the gray twilight, which grew every moment more obscure. Perseus looked about him, rather disconsolately, and asked Quicksilver whether they had a great deal farther to go. “Hist! hist!°’ whispered his companion. ‘ Make no noise! This is just the time and place to meet the Three Gray Women. Be careful that they do not see you before you see them; for, though they have but a single eye among the three, it is as sharp-sighted as half a dozen common eyes.” “ But what must I do,’ asked Perseus, “ when we meet them ?” Quicksilver explained to Perseus how the Three Gray Women managed with their one eye. They were in the habit, it seems, of changing it from one to another, as if it had been a pair of spectacles, or — which would have suited them better — a quizzing-glass. When one of the three had kept the eye a certain time, she took it out of the socket and passed it to one of her sisters, whose turn it might happen to be, and who immediately clapped it into her own head, and enjoyed a peep at the visible THE GORGON’S HEAD. 29 world. Thus it will easily be understood that only one of the Three Gray Women could see, while the other two were in utter darkness; and, moreover, at the instant when the eye was passing from hand to hand, neither of the poor old ladies was able to see awink. I have heard of a great many strange things, in my day, and have witnessed not a few; but none, it seems to me, that can compare with the oddity of these Three Gray Women, all peeping through a single eye. So thought Perseus, likewise, and was so astonished that he almost fancied his companion was joking with him, and that there were no such old women in the world. “You will soon find whether I tell the truth or no,” observed Quicksilver. “Hark! hush! hist! hist! There they come, now ! ” Perseus looked earnestly through the dusk of the evening, and there, sure enough, at no great distance off, he descried the Three Gray Women. The light being so faint, he could not well make out what sort of figures they were; only he discovered that they had long gray hair; and, as they came nearer, he saw that two of them had but the empty socket of an eye, in the middle of their foreheads. But, in the middle of the third sister’s forehead, there was a very large, bright, and piercing eye, which sparkled like a great diamond in a ring; and so penctrating did it seem to be, that Perseus could not help thinking it must possess the gift of seeing in the darkest midnight just as perfectly as at noonday. The sight of three persons’ eyes was melted and collected into that single one. 30 THE GORGON’S HEAD. Thus the three old dames got along about as comfort- ably, upon the whole, as if they could all see at once. She who chanced to have the eye in her forehead led the other two by the hands, peeping sharply about her, all the while; insomuch that Perseus dreaded lest she should see right through the thick clump of bushes behind which he and Quicksilver had hidden themselves. My stars! it was positively terrible to be within reach of so very sharp an eye! But, before they reached the clump of bushes, one of the Three Gray Women spoke. “Sister! Sister Scarecrow!” cried she, “you have had the eye long enough. It is my turn now!” “Let me keep it a moment longer, Sister Nightmare,” answered Searecrow. “I thought I had a glimpse of something behind that thick bush.” “ Well, and what of that?” retorted Nightmare, peev- ishly. “Cant I see into a thick bush as easily as your- self? The eye is mine, as well as yours; and I know the use of it as well as you, or may be a little better. I insist upon taking a peep immediately !” But here the third sister, whose name was Shakejoint, began to complain, and said that it was her turn to have the eye, and that Scarecrow and Nightmare wanted to keep it all to themselves. To end the dispute, old Dame Scarecrow took the eye out of her forehead, and held it forth in her hand. “Take it, one of you,” cried she, “and quit this fool- ish quarrelling. For my part, I shall be glad of a little thick darkness. Take it quickly, however, or I must clap it into my own head again!” THE GORGON’S HEAD. 31 _ Accordingly, both Nightmare and Shakejoint stretched out their hands, groping eagerly to snatch the eye out of the hand of Scarecrow. But, being both alike blind, they could not easily find where Scarecrow’s hand was ; and Scarecrow, being now just as much in the dark as Shakejoimt and Nightmare, could not at once meet either of their hands, in order to put the eye into it. Thus (as you will see, with half an eye, my wise little auditors), these good old dames had fallen into a strange perplex- ity. For, though the eye shone and glistened like a star, as Scarecrow held it out, yet the Gray Women caught not the least glinpse of its light, and were all three in utter darkness, from too impatient a desire to see. (Juicksilver was so much tickled at beholding Shake- joint and Nightmare both groping for the eye, and each finding fault with Scarecrow and one another, that he could scarcely help laughing aloud. “Now is your time!” he whispered to Perseus. (Quick, quick! before they can clap the eye into either of their heads. Rush out upon the old ladies, and snatch it from Scarecrow’s hand !” In an instant, while the Three Gray Women were still scolding each other, Perseus leaped from behind the clump of bushes, and made himself master of the prize. The marvellous eye, as he held it in his hand, shone very brightly, and seemed to look up into his face with a knowing air, and an expression as if it would have winked, had it been provided with a pair of eyelids for that purpose. But the Gray Women knew nothing of what had happened; and, each supposing that one of her 32 THE GORGON’S HEAD. sisters was in possession of the eye, they began their quarrel anew. At last, as Perseus did not wish to put ~ these respectable dames to greater inconvenience than was really necessary, he thought it right to explain the matter. “My good ladies,” said he, “pray. do not be angry with one another. If anybody is in fault, it is myself; for I have the honor to hold your very brilliant and ex- cellent eye in my own hand!” “You! you have our eye! And who are you?” screamed the Three Gray Women, all in a breath; for they were terribly frightened, of course, at hearing a strange voice, and discovering that their eyesight had got into the hands of they could not guess whom. “O, what shall we do, sisters? what shall we do? We are all in the dark! Give us our eye! Give us our one, precious, solitary eye! You have two of your own! Give us our eye!” “Tell them,” whispered Quicksilver to Perseus, “ that they shall have back the eye as soon as they direct you where to find the Nymphs who have the flying slippers, the magic wallet, and the helmet of darkness.” “My dear, good, admirable old ladies,” said Perseus, addressing the Gray Women, “there is no occasion for putting yourselves into such a fright. I am by no means a bad young man. You shall have back your eye, safe and sound, and as bright as ever, the moment you tell me where to find the Nymphs.” “The Nymphs! Goodness me! sisters, what Nymphs does he mean?” screamed Scarecrow. ‘There are a great many Nymphs, people say ; some that go a hunting THE GORGON’S HEAD. 33 in the woods, and some that live inside of trees, and some that have a comfortable home in fountains of water. We know nothing at all about them. We are three unfortu- nate old souls, that go wandering about in the dusk, and never had but one eye amongst us, and that one you have stolen away. O, give it back, good stranger ! — who- ever you are, give it back!” —— All this while the Three Gray Women were groping with their outstretched hands, and trying their utmost to get hold of Perseus. But he took good care to keep out of their reach. “My respectable dames,” said he, —for his mother had taught him always to use the greatest civility,— “I hold your eye fast in my hand, and shall keep it safely for you, until you please to tell me where to find these Nymphs. The Nymphs, I mean, who keep the enchanted wallet, the flying slippers, and the what is it P — the hel- met of invisibility.” “Mercy on us, sisters! what is the young man talking about?” exclaimed Scarecrow, Nightmare, and Shakejoint, one to another, with great appearance of astonishment. ‘A pair of flying slippers, quoth he! His heels would quickly fly higher than his head, if he were silly enough to put them on. Anda helmet of in- visibility! How could a helmet make him invisible, un- less it were big enough for him to hide under it? And an enchanted wallet! What sort of a contrivance may that be, I wonder? No, no, good stranger! we can tell you nothing of these marvellous things. You have two eyes of your own, and we have but a single one 2% Cc 9 34 THE GORGON’S HEAD. amongst us three. You can find out such wonders better than three blind old creatures, like us.” Perseus, hearing them talk in this way, began really to think that the Gray Women knew nothing of the mat- ter; and, as it grieved him to have put them to so much trouble, he was just on the point of restoring their eye and asking pardon for his rudeness in snatching it away. But Quicksilver caught his hand. “Don’t let them make a fool of you!” said he. “These Three Gray Women are the only persons in the world that can tell you where to find the Nymphs; and, unless you get that information, you will never succeed in cutting off the head of Medusa with the snaky locks. Keep fast hold of the eye, and all will go well.” As it turned out, Quicksilver was in the right. There are but few things that people prize so much as they do their eyesight; and the Gray Women valued their single eye as Inghly as if it had been half a dozen, which was the number they ought to have had. Find- ing that there was no other. way of recovering it, they at last told Perseus what he wanted to know. No sooner had they done so, than he immediately, and with the ut- most respect, clapped the eye into the vacant socket in one of their foreheads, thanked them for their kindness, and bade them farewell. Before the young man was out of hearing, however, they had got into a new dispute, because he happened to have given the eye to Scarecrow, who had already taken her turn of it when their trouble with Perseus commenced. THE GORGON’S HEAD. 39 It is greatly to be feared that the Three Gray Women were very much in the habit of disturbing their mutual harmony by bickerings of this sort; which was the more pity, as they could not conveniently do without one an- other, and were evidently intended to be inseparable companions. As a general rule, I would advise all peo- ple, whether sisters or brothers, old or young, who chance to have but one eye amongst them, to cultivate forbearance, and not all insist upon peeping through it at once. | Quicksilver and Perseus, in the mean time, were mak- ing the best of their way in quest of the Nymphs. The old dames had given them such particular directions, that they were not long in finding them out. They proved to be very different persons from Nightmare, Shakejoint, and Scarecrow ; for, instead of being old, they were young and beautiful; and instead of one eye amongst the sisterhood, each Nymph had two exceed- ingly bright eyes of her own, with which she looked very kindly at Perseus. They seemed to be acquainted with Quicksilver; and when he told them the adventure which Perseus had undertaken, they made no difficulty about giving him the valuable articles that were in their custody. In the first place, they brought ont what ap- peared to be a small purse, made of deer-skin, and curi- ously embroidered, and bade him be sure and keep it safe. This was the magic wallet. The Nymphs next produced a pair of shoes, or slippers, or sandals, with a nice little pair of wings at the heel of each. “ Put them on, Perseus,” said Quicksilver. “ You 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 THE GORGON’S HEAD. O7 made up of courage, sprightliness, and glorious light. But when the helmet had descended over his white brow, there was no longer any Perseus to be seen! Nothing but empty air! Even the helmet, that covered him with its invisibility, had vanished! “Where are you, Perseus?” asked Quicksilver. “Why, here, to be sure!” answered Perseus, very quietly, although his voice séemed to come out of the transparent atmosphere. “Just where I was a moment ago. Don’t you see me?” _ © No, indeed!’ answered his friend. ‘ You are hid- den under the helmet. But, if I cannot see you, neither can the Gorgons. Tollow me, therefore, and we will try your dexterity in using the winged slippers.” With these words, Quicksilver’s cap spread its wings, as if his head were about to fly away from his shoulders ; but his whole figure rose lightly into the air, and Perseus followed. By the time they had ascended a few hundred feet, the young man began to feel what a delightful thing it was to leave the dull earth so far beneath him, and to be able to flit about like a bird. It was now deep night. Perseus looked upward, and saw the round, bright, silvery moon, and thought that he should desire nothing better than to soar up thither, and spend his life there. Then he looked downward again, and saw the earth, with its seas, and lakes, and the silver courses of its rivers, and its snowy mountain-peaks, and the breadth of its fields, and the dark cluster of its woods, and its cities of white marble; and, with the moonshine sleeping over the whole scene, if was as beau- Te) THE GORGON’S HEAD. tiful as the moon or any star could be. And, among other objects, he saw the island of Seriphus, where his dear mother was. Sometimes, he and Quicksilver ap- proached a cloud, that, at a distance, looked as if it were made of fleecy silver; although, when they plunged into it, they found themselves chilled and moistened with gray mist. So swift was their flight, however, that, in an instant, they emerged from the cloud into the moonlight again. Once, a high-soaring eagle flew right against the invisible Perseus. The bravest sights were the meteors, that gleamed suddenly out, as if a bonfire had been kindled in the sky, and made the moonshine pale for as much as a hundred miles around them. As the two companions flew onward, Perseus fancied that he could hear the rustle of a garment close by his side ; and it was on the side opposite to the one where ~ he beheld Quicksilver, yet only Quicksilver was visible. ‘Whose garment is this,” inquired Perseus, “that keeps rustling close beside me, in the brecze ?” “OQ, it is my sister’s!” answered Quicksilver. “She is coming along with us, as. I told you she would. We could do nothing without the help of my sister. You have no idea how wise she is. She has such eyes, too! Why, she can see you, at this moment, just as distinctly as if you were not invisible; and Ill venture to say, she will be the first to discover the Gorgons.” . By this time, in their swift voyage through the air, they had come within sight of the great ocean, and were soon flying over it. Far beneath them, the waves tossed themselves tumultuously in mid-sea, or rolled a white THE GORGON’S HEAD. 39 surf-line upon the long beaches, or foamed against the rocky cliffs, with a roar that was thunderous, in the lower world; although it became a gentle murmur, like the voice of a baby half asleep, before it reached the ears of Perseus. Just then a voice spoke in the air close by him. It seemed to be a woman’s voice, and was melo- dious, though not exactly what might be called sweet, but grave and mild. “* Perseus,”’ said the voice, ‘ there are the Gorgons.” “Where?” exclaimed Perseus. ‘‘ I cannot see them.” “On the shore of that island beneath you,” replied the voice. “A pebble, dropped from your hand, would strike in the midst of them.”’ “YT told you she would be the first to discover them,”’ said Quicksilver to Perseus. ‘‘ And there they are!” Straight downward, two or three thousand feet below him, Perseus perceived a small island, with the sea break- ing into white foam all around its rocky shore, except on one side, where there was a beach of snowy sand. He descended towards it, and, looking earnestly at a cluster or heap of brightness, at the foot of a precipice of black rocks, behold, there were the terrible Gorgons! They lay fast asleep, soothed by the thunder of the sea; for it required a tumult that would have deafened everybody else to lull such fierce creatures into slumber. The moonlight glistened on their steely scales, and on their golden wings, which drooped idly over the sand. Their brazen claws, horrible to look at, were thrust out, and clutched the wave-beaten fragments of rock, while the sleeping Gorgons dreamed of tearing some poor mortal 4.0) TILE GORGON’S HEAD. all to pieces. The snakes that served them instead of hair seemed likewise to be asleep; although, now and then, one would writhe, and lift its head, and thrust out its forked tongue, emitting a drowsy hiss, and then let itself subside among its sister snakes. _ The Gorgons were more like an awful, gigantic kind of insect, — immense, golden-winged beetles, or dragon-flies, or things of that sort, —at once ugly and beautiful, —. than like anything else; only that they were a thousand and a million times as big. And, with all this, there was something partly human about them, too. Luckily for Perseus, their faces were completely hidden from him by the posture in which they lay ; for, had he but looked one instant at them, he would have fallen heavily out of tle air, an image of senseless stone. — * Now,” whispered Quicksilver, as he hovered by the side of Perseus, — ‘‘ now is your time to do the deed! Be quick ; for, if one of the Gorgons should awake, you are too late!” “Which shall I strike at ?”’ asked Perseus, drawing his sword and descending a little lower. ‘They all three look alike. All three have snaky locks. Which of the three is Medusa ? ” It must be understood that Medusa was the only one of these dragon-monsters whose head Perseus could pos- sibly cut off. As for the other two, let him have the sharpest sword that ever was forged, and he might have hacked away by the hour together, without doing them the least harm. | _ Be cautious,” said the calm voice which had before THE GORGON’S HEAD. 4] spoken to him. ‘One of the Gorgons is stirring in her sleep, and is just about to turn over. ‘That is Medusa. Do not look at her! The sight would turn you to stone! Look at the reflection of her face and figure in the bright mirror of your shield.” Perseus now understood Quicksilver’s motive for so earnestly exhorting him to polish his shield. In its sur- face he could safely look at the reflection of the Gorgon’s face. And there it was, — that terrible countenance, — mirrored in the brightness of the shield, with the moon- light falling over it, and displaying all its horror. The snakes, whose venomous natures could not altogether sleep, kept twisting themselves over the forehead. It was the fiercest and most horrible face that ever was seen or imagined, and yet with a strange, fearful, and savage kind of beauty in it. The eyes were closed, and the Gorgon was still in a deep slumber; but there was an unquiet expression disturbing her features, as if the mon- ster was troubled with an ugly dream. She gnashed her white tusks, and dug into the sand with her brazen claws. The snakes, too, seemed to feel Medusa’s dream, and to be made more restless by it. They twined themselves into tumultuous knots, writhed fiercely, and uplifted a hundred hissing heads, without opening their eyes. _ “Now, now!” whispered Quicksilver, who was grow- ing impatient. “Makea dash at the monster!” “ But be calm,” said the grave, melodious voice, at the ‘ young man’s side. ‘Look im your slueld, as you fly downward, and take care that you do not miss your first stroke.” 4.2 THE GORGON’S HEAD. ~ Perseus flew cautiously downward, still keeping his eyes on Medusa’s face, as reflected in his shield. The nearer he came, the more terrible did the snaky visage and metallic body of the monster grow. At last, when he found himself hovering over her within arm’s length, Perseus uplifted his sword, while, at the same instant, each separate snake upon the Gorgon’s head stretched threateningly upward, and Medusa unclosed her eyes. But she awoke too late. The sword was sharp; the stroke fell like a lightning-flash; and the head of the wicked Medusa tumbled from her body! ~ Admirably done!” cried Quicksilver. ‘‘ Make haste, and clap the head into your magic wallet.” To the astonishment of Perseus, the small, embroi- dered wallet, which he had hung about his neck, and which had hitherto been no bigger than a purse, grew all at once large enough to contain Medusa’s head. As quick as thought, he snatched it up, with the snakes still writhing upon it, and thrust it in. | “Your task is done,” said the calm voice. ‘ Now fly; for the other Gorgons will: do their utmost to take ven- geance for Medusa’s death.” _ It was, indeed, necessary to take flight; for Perseus had not done the deed so quietly, but that the clash of his sword, and the hissing of the snakes, and the thump of Medusa’s head as tt tumbled upon the sea-beaten sand, awoke the other two monsters. There they sat, for an instant, sleepily mibbing their eyes with their brazen fin- gers, while all the snakes on their heads reared themselves on end with surprise, and with venomous malice against THE GORGON’S HEAD. 43 they knew not what. But when the Gorgons saw the scaly carcass of Medusa, headless, and her golden wings all ruffled, and half spread out on tlie sand, it was really awful to hear what yells and screeches they set up. And then the snakes! They sent forth a hundred-fold hiss, with one consent, and Medusa’s snakes answered them out of the magic wallet. No sooner were the Gorgons broad awake, than they hurtled upward into the air, brandishing their brass tal- ous, gnashing their horrible tusks, and flapping their huge wings so wildly, that some of the golden feathers were shaken out, and floated down upon the shore. And there, perhaps, those very feathers lie scattered, till this day. Up rose the Gorgons, as I tell you, staring horribly about, in hopes of turning somebody to stone. Had Perseus looked them in the face, or had he fallen into their clutches, his poor mother would never have kissed her boy again! But he took good care to turn his eyes another way; and, as he wore the helmet of invisibility, the Gorgons knew not in what direction to follow him; nor did he fail to make the best use of the winged slip- pers, by soaring upward a perpendicular mile or so. At that height, when the screams of those abominable crea- tures sounded faintly beneath him, he made a straight course for the island of Seriphus, in order to carry Me- dusa’s head to King Polydectes. I have no time to tell you of several marvellous things that befell Perseus, on his way homeward; such as his killing a hideous sea-monster, just as it was on the point of devouring a beautiful maiden; nor how he changed an 4,4: THE GORGON’S HEAD. enormous giant into a mountain of stone, merely by show- ing him the head of the Gorgon. If you doubt this latter story, you may make a voyage to Africa, some day or other, and see the very mountain, which is still known by the ancient giant’s name. Finally, our brave Perseus arrived at the island, where he expected to see his dear mother. But, during his absence, the wicked king had treated Danaé so very ill, that she was compelled to make her escape, and had taken refuge in a temple, where some good old priests were extremely kind to her. These praiseworthy priests, and the kind-hearted fisherman, who had first shown hospitality to Danaé and little Perseus when he found them afloat in the chest, seem to have been the only persons on the island who cared about doing right. All the rest of the people, as well as King Polydectes him- self, were remarkably ill-behaved, and deserved no better destiny than that which was now to happen. Not finding his mother at home, Perseus went straight to the palace and was immediately ushered into the pres- ence of the king. Polydectes was by no means rejoiced to see him; for he had felt almost certain, in his own evil mind, that the Gorgons would have torn the poor young man to pieces, and have eaten him up, out of the way. However, seeing him safely returned, he put the best face he could upon the matter and asked Perseus how he had succeeded. ‘Have you performed your promise? ”’ inquired he. “Have you brought me the head of Medusa with the ‘snaky locks? If not, young man, it will cost you dear; 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- 46 THE GORGON’S HEAD. though the story tells nothing about any such), they stayed quietly at home, minding their own business, and taking care of their little children. Most of the inhabitants, at all events, ran as fast as they could to the palace, and shoved, and pushed, and elbowed one another, in their eagerness to get near a balcony, on which Perseus showed himself, holding the embroidered wallet in his hand. On a platform, within full view of the balcony, sat the mighty King Polydectes, amid his evil counsellors, and. with his flattering courtiers in a semicircle round about him. Monarch, counsellors, courtiers, and subjects, all gazed eagerly towards Perseus. “Show us the head! Show us the head!” shouted the people; and there was a fierceness in their cry as if they would tear Perseus to pieces, unless he should sat- isfy them with what he had to show. ‘Show us the head of Medusa with the snaky locks! ” A feeling of sorrow and pity came over the youthful Perseus. ‘“‘O King Polydectes,” cried he, “and ye many peo- ple, I am very loath to show you the Gorgon’s head ! ” “ Ah, the villain and coward!” yelled the people, more fiercely than before. ‘He is making game of us! He has no Gorgon’s head! Show us the head, if you have it, or we will take your own head for a football! ” The evil counsellors whispered bad advice in the king’s ear; the courtiers murmured, with one consent, that Per- seus had shown disrespect to their royal lord and master ; and the great King Polydectes himself waved his hand, THE GORGON’S HEAD. 4,7 and ordered him, with the stern, deep voice of authority, on his peril, to produce the head. “Show me the Gorgon’s head, or I will cut off your own!” And Perseus sighed. “This instant,” repeated Polydectes, “‘ or you die “ Behold it, then!’ cried Perseus, in a voice like the blast of a trumpet. And, suddenly holding up the head, not an eyelid had time to wink before the wicked King Polydectes, his evil counsellors, and all his fierce subjects were no longer anything but the mere images of a monarch and his peo- ple. They were all fixed, forever, in the look and atti- tude of that moment! At the first glimpse of the terri- ble head of Medusa, they whitened into marble! And Perseus thrust the head back into his wallet, and went to tell his dear mother that she need no longer be afraid of the wicked King Polydectes. { > TANGLEWOOD PORCH. AFTER THE STORY. |AS not that a very fine story?” asked Eustace. | “O yes, yes!” cried Cowslip, clapping her - | hands. ‘And those funny old women, with only one eye amongst them! I never heard of anything so strange.” | “As to their one tooth, which they shifted about,” observed Primrose, “‘there was nothing so very wonder- ful in that. I suppose it was a false tooth. But think of your turnmg Mercury into Quicksilver, and talking about his sister! You are too ridiculous! ” ‘And was she not his sister?’ asked Eustace Bright. “Tf I had thought of it sooner, I would have described her as a maiden lady, who kept a pet owl!” “‘ Well, at any rate,” said Primrose, ‘your story seems to have driven away the mist.” : And, indeed, while the tale was going forward, the vapors had been quite exhaled from the landscape. A scene was now disclosed which the spectators might almost fancy as having been created since they had last looked in the direction where it lay. About half a mile TANGLEWOOD PORCH. 4.9 distant, in the lap of the valley, now appeared a beauti- ful lake, which reflected a perfect image of its own wooded banks, and of the summits of the more distant hills. It gleamed in glassy tranquillity, without the trace of a winged breeze on any part of its bosom. Be- yond its farther shore was Monument Mountain, in a re- cumbent. position, stretching almost across the valley. Kustace Bright compared it to a huge, headless sphinx, wrapped in a Persian shawl; and, indeed, so rich and diversified was the autumnal foliage of its woods, that the simile of the shawl was by no means too high-colored for the reality. In the lower ground, between Tangle- wood and the lake, the clumps of trees and borders of woodland were chiefly golden-leaved or dusky brown, as having suffered more from frost than the foliage on the hillsides. Over all this scene there was a genial sunshine, inter- mingled with a slight haze, which made it unspeakably soft and tender. O, what a day of Indian summer was it going to be! The children snatched their baskets, and set forth, with hop, skip, and jump, and all sorts of frisks and gambols; while Cousin Eustace proved his fitness to preside over the party, by outdoing all their antics, and performing several new capers, which none of them could ever hope to imitate. Behind went a good old dog, whose name was Ben. He was one of the most respectable and kind-hearted of quadrupeds, and probably felt it to be his duty not to trust the children away from their parents without some better guardian than this feather-brained Eustace Bright. 3 D THE GOLDEN TOUCH. OOK SHADOW BROOK. INTRODUCTORY TO “THE GOLDEN TOUCH.” ri noon, our juvenile party assembled in a dell, M:| through the depths of which ran a little brook. es) The dell was narrow, and its steep sides, from the margin of the stream upward, were thickly set with trees, chiefly walnuts and chestnuts, among which grew a few oaks and maples. In the summer time, the shade of so many clustering branches, meeting and intermingling across the rivulet, was deep enough to produce a noon- tide twilight. Hence came the name of Shadow Brook. But now, ever since autumn had crept into this secluded place, all the dark verdure was changed to gold, so that it really kindled up the dell, instead of shading it. The bright yellow leaves, even had it been a cloudy day, would have seemed to keep the sunlight among them; and enough of them had fallen to strew all the bed and mar- gin of the brook with sunlight, too. Thus the shady nook, where summer had cooled herself, was now the sunniest spot anywhere to be found. The little brook ran along over its pathway of gold, O40 SHADOW BROOK. here pausing to form a pool, in which minnows were darting to and fro; and then it hurried onward ata . swifter pace, as if in haste to reach the lake ; and, forget- ting to look whither it went, it tumbled over the root of a tree, which stretched quite across its current. You would have laughed to hear how noisily it babbled about this accident. And even after it had run onward, the brook still kept talking to itself, as if it were in a maze. It was wonder-smitten, I suppose, at finding its dark dell so illuminated, and at hearing the prattle and merriment of so many children. So it stole away as quickly as it could, and hid itself in the lake. - a In the dell of Shadow Brook, Eustace Bright and his little friends had eaten their dinner. They had brought plenty of good things from Tanglewood, in their baskets, and had spread them out on the stumps of trees, and on mossy trunks, and had feasted merrily, and made a very nice dinner indeed. After it was over, nobody felt like stirring. ~ © We will rest. ourselves here,” said several of the children, “‘ while Cousin Eustace tells us another of his pretty stories.” ~ Cousin Eustace had a good right to be tired, as well as the children, for he had performed great feats on that memorable forenoon. Dandelion, Clover, Cowslip, and Buttercup were almost persuaded that he had winged slippers, like those which the Nymphs gave Perseus; so often had the student shown himself at the tiptop of a nut-tree, when only a moment before he had been stand- ing on the ground. And then, what showers of walnuts SHADOW BROOK. 5D had he sent rattling down upon their heads, for their busy little hands to gather into the baskets! In short, he had been as active as a squirrel or a monkey, and now, flinging himself down on the yellow leaves, seemed inclined to take a little rest. But children have no mercy nor consideration for any- body’s weariness; andif you had but a single breath left, they would ask you to spend it in telling them a story. | “Cousin Eustace,” said Cowslip, “that was a very nice story of the Gorgon’s Head. Do you think you could tell us another as good?” “Yes, child,” said Eustace, pulling the brim of his cap over his eyes, as if preparing fora nap. “I can tell you a dozen, as good or better, if I choose.” ‘OQ Primrose and Periwinkle, do you hear what he says?” cried Cowslip, dancing with delight. ‘Cousin Kustace is going to tell us a dozen better stories than that about the Gorgon’s Head!” “JT did not promise you even one, you foolish little Cowslip!” said Kustace, half pettishly. ‘“ However, I suppose you must have it. This is the consequence of having earned a reputation! I wish I were a great deal duller than I am, or that I had never shown half the bright qualities with which nature has endowed me; and then I might have my nap out, in peace and comfort !” But Cousin Eustace, as I think I have hinted before, was as fond of telling his stories as the children of hear- ing them. His mind was in a free and happy state, and 56 SIIADOW BROOK. took delight in its own activity, and scarcely required any external impulse to set it at work. How difficult is this spontaneous play of the intellect from the trained diligence of maturer years, when toil has perhaps grown easy by long habit, and the day’s work may have become essential to the day’s comfort, although the rest. of the matter has bubbled away! This remark, however, is not meant for the children to hear. Without further solicitation, Eustace Bright proceeded to tell the following really splendid story. It had come into his mind as he lay looking upward into the depths of a tree, and observing how the touch of Autumn had transmuted every one of its green leaves into what re- sembled the purest gold. And this change, which we have all of us witnessed, is as wonderful as anything that Eustace told about, in the story of Midas. THE GOLDEN TOUCH. e Ma |NCE upon a time, there lived a very rich man, a | and a king besides, whose name was Midas; ws and he had a little daughter, whom nobody but myself ever heard of, and whose name I either never knew, or have entirely forgotten. So, because I love odd names for little girls, L choose to call her Marygold. This King Midas was fonder of gold than of anything else in’ the world. He valued bis royal crown chiefly because it was composed of that precious metal. If he loved anything better, or half so well, it was the one little maiden who played so merrily around her father’s footstool. But the more Midas loved his daughter, the more did he desire and seek for wealth. He thought, foolish man! that the best thing he could possibly do for this dear child would be to bequeath her the immensest pile of yellow, glistening coin, that had ever been heaped together since the world was made. Thus, he gave all his thoughts and all his time to this one purpose. If ever he happened to gaze for an instant at the gold- 3% 58 THE GOLDEN TOUCH. tinted clouds of sunset, he wished that they were real gold, and that they could be squeezed safely into his strong box. When little Marygold ran to met him, with _ abunch of buttercups and dandelions, he used to say, “Poh, poh, child! If these flowers were as golden as they look, they would be worth the plucking !.” And yet, in his earlier days, before he was so entirely possessed of this insane desire for riches, King Midas had shown a great taste for flowers. He had planted a garden, in which grew the biggest and beautifullest and sweetest roses that any mortal ever saw or smelt. These roses were still growing in the garden, as large, as lovely, and as fragrant, as when Midas used to pass whole hours in gazing at them, and inhaling their perfume. But now, if he looked at them at all, it was only to cal- culate how much the garden would be worth, if each of the innumerable rose-petals were a thin plate of gold. And though he once was fond of music (in spite of an idle story about his ears, which were said to resemble those of an ass), the only music for poor Midas, now, was the chink of one coin against another. At length (as people always grow more and more fool- ish, unless they take care to grow wiser and wiser), Midas had got to be so exceedingly unreasonable, that he could scarcely bear to see or touch any object that was not gold. He made it his custom, therefore, to pass a large portion of every day ina dark and dreary apart- ment, under ground, at the basement of his palace. It was here that he kept his wealth. To this dismal hole —for it was little better than a dungeon — Midas be- THE GOLDEN TOUCH. 59 took himself, whenever he wanted to be particularly happy. Here, after carefully locking the door, he would take a bag of gold coin, or a gold cup as big as a wash- bowl, or a heavy golden bar, or a peck-measure of gold- dust, and bring them from the obscure corners of the room into the one bright and narrow sunbeam that fell from the dungeon-like window. He valued the sunbeam for no other reason but that his treasure would not shine without its help. And then would he reckon over the coins in the bag ; toss up the bar, and catch it as it came down; sift the gold-dust through his fingers; look at the funny image of his own face, as reflected in the bur- nished circumference of the cup; and whisper to him- ‘self, “O Midas, rich King Midas, what a happy man art thou!” But it was laughable to see how the image of his face kept grinning at him, out of the polished surface of the cup. It seemed to be aware of his foolish behav- ior, and to have a naughty inclination to make fun of him. Midas called himself a happy man, but felt that he was not yet quite so happy as he might be. The very tip- top of enjoyment would never be reached, unless the whole world were to become his treasure-room, and be filled with yellow metal which should be all his own. Now, I need hardly remind such wise little people as you are, that in the old, old times, when King Midas was alive, a great many things came to pass, which we should consider wonderful if they were to happen in our own day and country. And, on the other hand, a great many things take place nowadays, which seem not only won- 60 THE GOLDEN TOUCH. derful to us, but at which the people of old times would have stared their eyes out. On the whole, I regard our own times as the strangest of the two; but, however that may be, I must go on with my story. Midas was enjoying himself im his treasure-room, one day, as usual, when he perceived a shadow fall over the heaps of gold; and, looking suddenly up, what should he behold. but the figure of a stranger, standing in the bright and narrow sunbeam! It was a young man, with a cheerful and ruddy face. Whether it was that the im- agination of King Midas threw a yellow tinge over every- ihing, or whatever the cause might be, he could not help fancying that the smile with which the stranger regarded him had a kind of golden radiance in it. Certainly, al- though his figure intercepted the sunshine, there was now a brighter gleam upon all the piled-up treasures than be- fore. Even the remotest corners had their share of it, and were lighted up, when the stranger smiled, as with tips of flame and sparkles of fire. As Midas knew that he had carefully turned the key in the lock, and that no mortal strength could possibly break into his treasure-room, he, of course, concluded that his visitor must be something more than mortal. It is no matter about tellmg you who he was. In those days, when the earth was comparatively a new affair, it was supposed to be often the resort of bemgs endowed with supernatural power, and who used to interest them- selves in the joys and sorrows of men, women, and chil- dren, half playfully and half seriously. Midas had met such beings before now, and was not sorry to meet one THE GOLDEN TOUCH. 6] of them again. The stranger’s aspect, indeed, was so good-humored and kindly, if not beneficent, that it would have been unreasonable to suspect him of intending any mischief. It was far more probable that he came to do Midas a favor. And what could that favor be, unless to multiply his heaps of treasure ? The stranger gazed about the room; and when his lustrous smile had glistened upon all the golden objects that were there, he turned again to Midas. “You are a wealthy man, friend Midas!” he ob- served. ‘I doubt whether any other four walls, on earth, contain so much gold as you have contrived to pile up in this room.’ ‘““T have done pretty well, — pretty well,” answered Midas, in a discontented tone. ‘‘ But, after all, it is but a trifle, when you consider that it has taken me my whole life to get it together. If one could live a thousand years, he might have time to grow rich!” “What!” exclaimed the stranger. ‘Then you are not satisfied ? ” Midas shook his head. “And pray what would satisfy you?” asked the stran- ger. ‘‘ Merely for the curiosity of the thing, I should be glad ‘to know.” Midas paused and meditated. THe felt a presentiment that this stranger, with such a golden lustre in his good- humored smile, had come hither with both the power and the purpose of gratifying his utmost wishes. Now, therefore, was the fortunate moment, when he had but to speak, and obtain whatever possible, or seemingly 62 THE GOLDEN TOUCH. impossible thing, it might come into his head to ask. So he thought, and thought, and thought, and heaped up one golden mountain upon another, in his imagination, without being able to imagine them big enough. At last, a bright idea occurred to King Midas. It seemed really as bright as the glistening metal which he loved so much. Raising his head, he looked the lustrous stranger in the face. “Well, Midas,” observed his visitor, “I see that you have at length hit upon something that will satiety you. Tell me your wish.” ‘It is only this,” replied Midas. “I am weary of collecting my treasures with so much trouble, and be- holding the heap so diminutive, after I have done my best. I wish everything that I touch to be changed to gold!” The stranger’s smile grew so very broad, that it seemed to fill the room like an outburst of the sun, gleaming into a shadowy dell, where the yellow autumnal leaves — for so looked the lumps and particles of gold — lie strewn ‘in the glow of light. ‘The Golden Touch!” exclaimed he. ‘ You certainly deserve credit, friend Midas, for striking out so brilliant a conception. But are you quite sure that this will sat- isfy you?” “ How could it fail? ” said Midas. “And will you never regret the possession of it ? ” “What could induce me?” asked Midas. “I ask nothing else, to render me perfectly happy.” “ Be it as you wish, then,” replied the stranger, waving THE GOLDEN TOUCH: 63 his hand in token of farewell. ‘To-morrow, at sunrise, you will find yourself gifted with the Golden Touch.” The figure of the stranger then became exceedingly bright, and Midas involuntarily closed his eyes. On opening them again, he beheld only one yellow sunbeam in the room, and, all around him, the glistening of the precious metal which he had spent his life in hoarding up. | Whether Midas slept as usual that night, the story does not say. Asleep or awake, however, his mind was probably in the state of a child’s, to whom a beautiful new plaything has been promised in the morning. At any rate, day had hardly peeped over the hills, when King Midas was broad awake, and, stretching his arms out of bed, began to touch the objects that were within reach. He was anxious to prove whether the Golden Touch had really come, according to the stranger’s prom- ise. So he laid his finger on a chair by the bedside, and on various other things, but was grievously disappointed to perceive that they remained of exactly the same sub- stance as before. Indeed, he felt very much afraid that he had only dreamed about the lustrous stranger, or else that the latter had been making game of him. And what a miserable affair would it be, if, after all his hopes, Midas must content himself with what little gold he could scrape together by ordinary means, instead of creating it by a touch! All this while, it was only the gray of the morning, with but a streak of brightness along the edge of the sky, where Midas could not see it. He lay in a very discon- 64 THE GOLDEN TOUCH. solate mood, regretting the downfall of his hopes, and kept growing sadder and sadder, until the earliest sun- beam shone through the window, and gilded the ceiling over his head. It seemed to Midas that this bright yel- low sunbeam was reflected in rather a singular way on the white covering of the bed. Looking more closely, what was his astonishment and delight, when he found that this linen fabric had been transmuted to what seemed a woven texture of the purest and brightest gold! The Golden Touch had come to him, with the first sunbeam ! Midas started up, in a kind of joyful frenzy, and ran about the room, grasping at. everything that happened to be in his way. He seized one of the bedposts, and it be- came immediately a fluted golden pillar. He pulled aside a window-curtain, in order to admit a clear spectacle of the wonders which he was performing; and the tassel grew heavy in his hand,—a mass of gold. He took up a book from the table. At his first touch, it assumed the appearance of such a splendidly bound and gilt-edged volume as one often meets with, nowadays; but, on run- ning his fingers through the leaves, behold! it was a bun- dle of thin golden plates, in which all the wisdom of the book had grown illegible. He hurriedly put on his clothes, and was enraptured to see himself in a magnifi- cent suit of gold cloth, which retained its flexibility and softness, although it burdened him a little with its weight. He drew out his handkerchief, which little Marygold had hemmed for him. That was likewise gold, with the dear child’s neat and pretty stitches running all along the bor- der, in gold thread! THE GOLDEN TOUCH. 63 Somehow or other, this last transformation did not quite please King Midas. He would rather that his little daughter’s handiwork should have remained just the same as when she climbed his knee and put it into his hand. But it was not worth while to vex himself about a trifle. Midas now took his spectacles from his pocket, and put them on his nose, in order that he might see more dis- tinctly what he was about. In those days, spectacles for common people had not been invented, but were already worn by kings; else, how could Midas have had any? To his great perplexity, however, excellent as the glasses were, he discovered that he could not possibly see through them. But this was the most natural thing in the world ; for, on taking them off, the transparent crystals turned out to be plates of yellow metal, and, of course, were worthless as spectacles, though valuable as gold. It struck Midas as rather inconvenient, that, with all his wealth, he could never again be rich enough to own a pau of serviceable spectacles. “It is no great matter, nevertheless,” said he to him- self, very philosophically. “We cannot expect any great good, without its being accompanied with some small in- convenience. The Golden Touch is worth the sacrifice of a pair of spectacles, at least, if not of one’s very eye- sight. My own eyes will serve for ordmary purposes, and little Marygold will soon be old enough to read to me.” \y Wise King Midas was so exalted by his good fortune, that the palace seemed not sufficiently spacious to con- tain him. He therefore went down stairs, and smiled, E 66 THE GOLDEN TOUCH. on observing that the balustrade of the staircase became a bar of burnished gold, as his hand passed over it, in his descent. He lifted the door-latch (it was brass only a moment ago, but golden when his fingers quitted it), and emerged into the garden. Here, as it happened, he found a great number of beautiful roses in full bloom, and others in all the stages of lovely bud and blossom. Very delicious was their fragrance in the morning breeze. Their delicate blush was one of the fairest sights in the world; so gentle, so modest, and so full of sweet tran- quillity, did these roses seem to be. But Midas knew a way to make them far more pre- cious, according to his way of thinking, than roses had ever been before. So he took great pains in going from bush to bush, and exercised his magic touch most in- defatigably ; until every individual flower and bud, and even the worms at the heart of some of them, were changed to gold. By the time this good work was com- pleted, King Midas was summoned to breakfast; and, as the morning air had given him an excellent appetite, he made haste back to the palace. What was usually a king’s breakfast m the days of Midas, I really do not know, and cannot stop now to in- vestigate. To the best of my belief, however, on this particular morning, the breakfast consisted of hot cakes, some nice little brook trout, roasted potatoes, fresh boiled eggs, and coffee, for King Midas himself, and a bowl of bread and milk for his daughter Marygold. At all events, this is a breakfast fit to set before a king’; and, whether he had it or not, King Midas could not have had a better. THE GOLDEN TOUCH. 67 Little Marygold had not yet made her appearance. Her father ordered her to be called, and, seating himself at table, awaited the child’s coming, in order to begin his own breakfast. To do Midas justice, he really loved his daughter, and loved her so much the more this morning, on account of the good fortune which had befallen him. It was not a great while before he heard her coming along the passageway crying bitterly. This circum- stance surprised him, because’ Marygold was one of the cheerfullest little people whom you would see in a sum- mer’s day, and hardly shed a thimbleful of tears in a twelvemonth. When Midas heard her sobs, he deter- mined to put little Marygold into better spirits, by an agreeable surprise; so, leaning across the table, he touched his daughter’s bowl (which was a China one, with pretty figures all around it), and transmuted it to gleaming gold, Meanwhile, Marygold slowly and disconsolately opened the door, and showed herself with her apron at her eyes, still sobbing as if her heart would break. “How now, my little lady!” cried Midas. “ Pray what is the matter with you, this bright morning ? ” _ Marygold, without taking the apron from her eyes, held out. her hand, in which was one of the roses which Midas had so recently transmuted. ‘ Beautiful !”’ exclaimed her father. ‘And what is there in this magnificent golden rose to make you ery ?” ‘Ah, dear father! ” answered the child, as well as her sobs would let her; “it is not beautiful, but the ugliest flower that ever grew! As soon as I was dressed, I ran 68 THE GOLDEN TOUCH. into the garden to gather some roses for you; because I know you like them, and like them the better when gath- ered by your little daughter. But, oh dear, dear me! What do you think has happened? Such a misfortune! All the beautiful roses, that smelled so sweetly and had so many lovely blushes, are blighted and spoilt! They are grown quite yellow, as you see this one, and have no longer any fragrance! What can have been the matter with them ?” , “Poh, my dear little girl, — pray don’t ery about it!” said Midas, who was ashamed to confess that he himself had wrought the change which so greatly afflicted her. “Sit down and eat your bread and milk! You will find it easy enough to exchange a golden rose like that (which will last hundreds of years) for an ordinary one which would wither in a day.” ‘“T don’t care for such roses as this!” cried Marygold, tossing it contemptuously away. “It has no smell, and the hard petals prick my nose ! ” The child now sat down to table, but was so occupied with her grief for the blighted roses that she did not even notice the wonderful transmutation of her China bowl. Perhaps this was all the better ; for Marygold was accus- tomed to take pleasure in looking at the queer figures, and strange trees and houses, that were painted on the circumference of the bowl; and these ornaments were now entirely lost in the yellow hue of the metal. Midas, meanwhile, had poured out a cup of coffee; and, as a matter of course, the coffee-pot, whatever metal it may have been when he took it up, was gold when he THE GOLDEN TOUCH. 69 set it down. He thought to himself, that it was rather an extravagant style of splendor, in a king of his simple habits, to breakfast off a service of gold, and began to be puzzled with the difficulty of keeping his treasures safe. The cupboard and the kitchen would no longer be a se- cure place of deposit for articles so valuable as golden bowls and coffee-pots. Amid these thoughts, he lifted a spoonful of coffee to his lips, and, sipping it, was astonished to perceive that, the instant his lips touched the liquid, it became molten gold, and, the next moment, hardened into a lump! “Ha!” exclaimed Midas, rather aghast. * What is the matter, father?” asked litle Marygold, gazing at him, with the tears still standing in her eyes. “ Nothing, child, nothing!” said Midas. ‘ Hat your. milk, before.it gets quite cold.” He took one of the nice little trouts on his plate, and, by way of experiment, touched its tail with his finger. To his horror, it was immediately transmuted from an admirably fried brook trout into a gold fish, though not one of those gold-fishes which people often keep in glass globes, as ornaments for the parlor. No; but it was really a metallic fish, and looked as if it had been very cunningly made by the nicest goldsmith in the world. Its little bones were now golden wires; its fins and tail were thin plates of gold; and there were the marks of the fork in it, and all the delicate, frothy appearance of a nicely fried fish, exactly imitated in metal.