Episode 15: The Gorgon's Head (Part 2)

We conclude the exciting story, "The Gorgon's Head," from Myths Every Child Should Know, edited by Hamilton Wright Mabie, Junior Deluxe Editions. Come back next week for the exciting conclusion.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

You hear a knock at your front door and wonder who it is. You get up from your seat and walk to the door only to open it and see no one. You look down. A beautifully gilded envelope is on your door's threshold. What is this? You think, picking up the envelope. You open it up, pulling out an ornate invitation and read. You are cordially invited to meet me at the intersection of mystical and mundane today at 11 o'clock sharp. Please bring your sense of curiosity and a warm jacket, but leave your preconceived notions and doubts at home. Sincerely, your soul. Hello, I am Lydia Lazara, founder of Questions Authority Coaching. I am a teacher, an embodiment coach, intuitive, and yoga instructor. Welcome to my podcast at the intersection of mystical and mundane. This is the place where I want to experience life from. I want to see, listen, and live from my heart, experiencing that beautiful intersection of mystical and mundane in each moment. And that's why I share these stories. I also have some incredible children in my life who I don't always get to see very often. So I am bringing my love of the mystical to the mundane by sharing these stories that opened up whole new worlds and possibilities to me. I invite you to snuggle in with your favorite child or children and listen along as we travel together to the intersection of mystical and mundane. I dedicate this podcast to Nora, Kitty, Josie, Jeeva, Anne, and Liara. I hope you enjoy these stories as much as I do. Keep playing, keep exploring, keep imagining, and never get boring. I love you. Welcome to the conclusion of the story that we started last week, The Gorgon's Head, which comes from the book Myths Every Child Should Know, edited by Hamilton Wright Maybe from the Junior Deluxe editions. If you will remember, this story is rated for children ages seven and up due to moderate and sometimes intense fairy tale violence. We were just at the spot where the three gray women are fighting over their one eye. And I think Quicksilver is about to tell Perseus exactly what he needs to do next. Quicksilver 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 the scarecrow's hand. In an instant, while the three grey women were still scolding each other, Perseus leapt from behind the clump of bushes and made himself master of the prize. The marvelous 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 grey women knew nothing of what had happened, and each supposing that one of their 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 honour to hold your very brilliant and excellent eye in my own hand. You, you have our eye, and who are you? screamed the three grey 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. Oh 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 to where it 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 out hunting in the woods, and some that live inside of trees, and some that have a comfortable home and fountains of water. We know nothing at all about them. We are three unfortunate old souls that go wandering about in the dusk and never had but one eye amongst us, and that you have stolen away. Oh, give it back, good stranger, whoever you are, give it back. All this while the three grey 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? The helmet of invisibility. Mercy on us, sisters, what is the young man talking about? exclaimed Scarecrow, Nightmare, and Shake Joint 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 was silly enough to put them on. And a helmet of invisibility. How could a helmet make him invisible unless it were big enough for him to hide under it? And an enchanted wallet. What sort of contrivance may that be, I wonder? No, no, good stranger, we can tell you nothing of these marvelous things. You have two eyes of your own, and we have but a single one 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 grey women knew nothing of the matter, 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 and 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 highly as if it had been half a dozen, which was the number they ought to have had. Finding 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 utmost 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 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. It is greatly to be feared that the three grey women were very much in the habit of disturbing their mutual harmony by bickerings of this sort, which was more the pity, as they could not conveniently do without one another, and were evidently intended to be inseparable companions. As a general rule, I would advise all people, 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 meantime, were making 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, Shake Joint, and Scarecrow, for instead of being old, they were young and beautiful, and instead of one eye amongst the sisterhood, each nymph had two exceedingly 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 out what appeared to be a small purse made of deer skin and curiously embroidered, and bade him to 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 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. Unexpectedly, however, this other slipper spread its wings, fluttered up off the ground, and would have probably 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 popped 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 contrivances are seldom quite easy to manage until one grows a little accustomed to them. Quicksilver laughed at his 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 Perseus, 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 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 seemed 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 hidden under the helmet. But if I cannot see you, neither can the Gorgons. Follow 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, it was as beautiful as the moon or any star could be. And among other objects he saw the island of Seraphis, where his dear mother was. Sometimes he and Quicksilver approached a cloud that, at a distance, looked as if it were made of fleecey silver, although when they plunged into it, they found themselves chilled and moistened with grey 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 breeze. Oh, 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 wide 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 I'll 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 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 melodious, 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. I 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 breaking into white foam all around its rocky shore, except on one side where there was a beach of snowy sand. He descended toward 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 all to pieces. The snakes that served them instead of hare seemed likewise to be asleep, although now and then one would writhe and lift its head and thrust 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 dragonflies 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 the 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 possibly 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 spoken before 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 surface 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 moonlight 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 monster 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, writhing fiercely and uplifted a hundred hissing heads without opening their eyes. Now, whispered Quicksilver, who was growing impatient, make a dash at the monster. But be calm, said the grave, melodious voice at the young man's side. Look in your shield as you fly downward, and take care that you do not miss your first stroke. 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 snakey 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 time. 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 embroidered 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 snake 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 vengeance for Medutha'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 it tumbled upon the sea beaten sand awoke the other two monsters. There they sat for an instant, sleepily rubbing their eyes with their brazen fingers, while all the snakes on their heads reared themselves on end with surprise and with venomous malice against 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 the sand, it was really awful to hear what yells and screeches they sent up. And then the snakes they sent forth a hundredfold 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 talons, gnashing their horrible tusks, and flapping their huge wings so widely 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 already 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 slippers by soaring upward a perpendicular mile or so. At that height, when the screams of those abominable creatures sounded faintly beneath him, he made a straight course for the island of Seraphis in order to carry Medusa's head to King Polydectes. I have no time to tell you of several marvelous 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 enormous giant into a mountain of stone merely by showing 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 Denei 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 fishermen who had first shown hospitality to Denei and the little Perseus when he found them afloat in the chest seemed 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 himself, 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 presence 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 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 snakey locks? If not, young man it will cost you dear, for I must have a bridal present for the beautiful princess Hippodomia, 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 man as he to perform. I have brought you the Gorgon's head, snaky locks and all Indeed, pray let me see it, quoth King Polydectes it must be a very curious spectacle if all that travellers tell about it be true. Your Majesty is in the right, replied Perseus, it 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 behold this wondrous curiosity. Few of them I imagine have seen a Gorgon's head before, and perhaps never may again The king knew well that his subjects were an idle set of reprobates and very fond of sightseeing, as idle persons usually are. So he took the young man's advice and sent out heralds and messengers in all directions 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 illhap in his encounter with the Gorgons. If there were any better people in the island, as I really hope there may have been, although the story tells nothing about any such, they stayed quietly at home, minding their 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 counselor, and with his flattering couriers in a semicircle round about him. Monarch, counselors, couriers and subjects all gazed eagerly toward 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 satisfy them with what he had to show. Show us the head of Medusa with the snakey locks A feeling of sorrow and pity came over the youthful Perseus. O King Polydectes cried he, and ye many people, 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 couriers murmured with one consent that Perseus had shown disrespect to their royal lord and master and the great king Polydectes himself waved his hand 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 people. They were all fixed forever in the look and attitude of that moment. At the first glimpse of the terrible 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. Thank you for joining me for this episode of At the Intersection of Mystical and Mundane. Please be sure to like subscribe share and follow me on your preferred podcast platform. That's the best way to support this podcast. And if you'd like to learn more about my work head to my website questionsauthority.com there you'll find everything you need to connect with me including links to my socials. I also want to extend a personal invitation to you to join my free online community called Embodied. We meet each week live on Zoom and all calls are recorded and posted in the membership portal. And you can also find in the membership portal yoga sequences, guided meditations, downloadable resources and audio somatic practices to help you on your spiritual journey