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 something as hard and impenetrable . They had wings , too , and exceedingly splendid ones , I can assure you ; for every feather in them was pure , bright , glittering , burnished gold , and they looked very dazzlingly , no doubt , when the Gorgons were flying about in the sunshine . But when people happened to catch 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 difficult to avoid . For the worst thing about these abominable 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 dangerous adventure that the wicked King Polydectes had contrived 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 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 into 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 befall a young mail 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 another 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 refrained 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 supposed 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 exercises , and well able to leap or run .
Above all , the stranger had such a cheerful , knowing , and helpful aspect -LRB- though it was certainly a little mischievous , XXXXX the bargain -RRB- , that Perseus could not help feeling his spirits grow livelier , as he gazed at him .
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