“Who art thou, fair youth? and what Dearest thou beneath they goat—­ skin there?  Surely thou art one of the Immortals; for thy skin is white like ivory, and ours is red like clay.  Thy hair is like threads of gold, and ours is black and curled.  Surely thou art one of the Immortals”; and they would have worshipped him then and there; but Perseus said: 

“I am not one of the Immortals; but I am a hero of the Hellens.  And I have slain the Gorgon in the wilderness, and bear her head with me.  Give me food, therefore, that I may go forward and finish my work.”

Then they gave him food, and fruit, but they would not let him go.  And when the news came into the city that the Gorgon was slain, the priests came out to meet him, and the maidens, with songs and dances, and timbrels and harps; and they would have brought him to their temple and to their King; but Perseus put on the hat of darkness, and vanished away out of their sight.

And Perseus flew along the shore above the sea; and he went on all the day; and he went on all the night.

And at the dawn of day he looked toward the cliffs; and at the water’s edge, under a black rock, he saw a white image stand.

“This,” thought he, “must surely be the statue of some sea god; I will go near and see what kind of gods these barbarians worship.”

But when he came near, it was no statue, but a maiden of flesh and blood; for he could see her tresses streaming in the breeze; and as he came closer still, he could see how she shrank and shivered when the waves sprinkled her with cold salt spray.  Her arms were spread above her head, and fastened to the rock with chains of brass; and her head drooped on her bosom, either with sleep, or weariness, or grief.  But now and then she looked up and wailed, and called her mother; yet she did not see Perseus, for the cap of darkness was on his head.

Full of pity and indignation, Perseus drew near and looked upon the maid.  And, lifting the hat from his head, he flashed into her sight.  She shrieked with terror, and tried to hide her face with her hair, for she could not with her hands; but Perseus cried: 

“Do not fear me, fair one; I am a Hellen, and no barbarian.  What cruel men have bound you?  But first I will set you free.”

And he tore at the fetters, but they were too strong for him; while the maiden cried: 

“Touch me not; I am accursed, devoted as a victim to the sea gods.  They will slay you, if you dare to set me free.”

“Let them try,” said Perseus; and drawing Herpe from his thigh, he cut through the brass as if it had been flax.

“Now,” he said, “you belong to me, and not to these sea gods, whosoever they may be!” But she only called the more on her mother.

“Why call on your mother?  She can be no mother to have left you here.”

And she answered, weeping: