The only good man in this unfortunate island of Seriphus appears to have been the fisherman . As Perseus walked along , therefore , the people pointed after him , and made mouths , and winked to one another , and ridiculed him as loudly as they dared . `` Ho , ho ! '' cried they ; `` Medusa 's snakes will sting him soundly ! '' Now , there were three Gorgons alive , at that period ; and they were the most strange and terrible monsters that had ever been since the world was made , or that have been seen in after days , or that are likely to be seen in all time to come . I hardly know what sort of creature or hobgoblin to call them . They were three sisters , and seem to have borne some distant resemblance to women , but were really a very frightful and mischievous species of dragon . It is , indeed , difficult to imagine what hideous beings these three sisters were . Why , instead of locks of hair , if you can believe me , they had each of them a hundred enormous snakes growing on their heads , all alive , twisting , wriggling , curling , and thrusting out their venomous ' tongues , with forked stings at the end ! 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 XXXXX enjoy a great deal of happiness , in this bright and beautiful world .
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