Chapter 31-Perseus

Perseus was the son of Zeus and Danae. Danae was the daughter of Acrisius, who was the King of Argos. Acrisius was warned that he would be killed by his grandson Perseus, so Acrisius locked Perseus and his mother in a chest and cast them into the sea. They floated to the island of Seriphus, where they were rescued and where Perseus grew into a man. The king of Seriphus, Polydectes, fell in love with Perseus’ mom. He thought that Perseus might get in the way of his plans to marry Danae, so he sent Perseus to collect the head of Medusa. Medusa was a monster; if you looked at her face, you were turned into stone instantly. Aided by Hermes, Perseus made his way to the Fates, who all shared one eye between them. Perseus took their eye and he wouldn’t give it back to them until they told him where to reach the nymphs of the north. They told him the directions, and when he reached the nymphs, they gave him some winged sandals, a magic wallet (which would fit whatever was put into it), and a cap to make him invisible. Hermes gave him a sword which could never be bent or broken, and Athena gave him a shield. Perseus found Medusa and killed her. To avoid being turned into stone, he looked through the reflection of his sheild. Medusa had some sisters who were not very happy, but Perseus escape because he was wearing his cap. He put Medusa’s head into the wallet and flew on his winged sandals towards home. As he was passing Ethiopia, he rescued the princess Andromeda as she was about to be sacrificed to a sea monster and he took her with him as his wife. At Seriphus, he freed his mother by turning the king into stone, by using Medusa. They all then returned to Greece, where Perseus accidentally killed his grandfather Acrisius with a discus, as he was told in the past.