The evil counsellors whispered bad advice in the king 's ear ; the courtiers 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 bead . `` 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 . TANGLEWOOD PORCH . AFTER THE STORY . `` Is 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 wonderful in that . I suppose it was a false tooth .
But think XXXXX your turning Mercury into Quicksilver , and talking about his sister !
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