"Admirably done!" cried Quicksilver. "Make haste, and clap the head into your magic wallet."
To the astonishment4 of Perseus, the small embroidered5 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 snakes still writhing6 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 vengeance7 for Medusa'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 hissing9 of the snakes, and the thump10 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 brazen11 fingers, while all the snakes on their heads reared themselves on end with surprise, and with venomous malice12 against they knew not what. But when the Gorgons saw the scaly13 carcass of Medusa, headless, and her golden wings all ruf-34-fled, and half spread out on the sand, it was really awful to hear what yells and screeches14 they set up. And then the snakes! They sent forth15 a hundred-fold hiss8, 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, brandishing16 their brass17 talons18, gnashing their horrible tusks19, and flapping their huge wings so wildly that some of the golden feathers were shaken out, and floated down upon the shore. And there, perhaps, those very feathers lie scattered20, 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, or had he 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 slippers21, by soaring upward a perpendicular22 mile or so. At that height, when the screams of those abominable23 creatures sounded faintly beneath him, he made a straight course for the island of Seriphus, 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 killing24 a hideous25 sea-monster, just as it was on the point of devouring26 a beautiful maiden27; nor how he changed an enormous giant into a mountain of stone, merely by showing him the-35- 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 Dana? 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 fisherman, who had first shown hospitality to Dana? and little Perseus when he found them afloat in the chest, seem 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 remarkably28 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 ushered29 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, out of 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 snaky locks? If not, young man, it will cost you dear; for I must have a bridal present-36- for the beautiful Princess Hippodamia, and there is nothing else that she would admire so much."
"Yes, please your Majesty30," 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 travelers 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 behold31 this wonderful curiosity. Few of them, I imagine, have seen a Gorgon's head before, and perhaps never may again!"
The king well knew that his subjects were an idle set of reprobates32, and very fond of sight-seeing, as idle persons usually are. So he took the young man's advice, and sent out heralds33 and messengers, in all directions, to blow the trumpet34 at the street-corners, and in the market-places, and wherever two roads met, and summon everybody to court. Thither35, accordingly, came a great multitude of good-for-nothing vagabonds, all of whom, out of pure love of mischief36, would have been glad if Perseus had met with some ill-hap 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-37- 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.
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收听单词发音
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1
metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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2
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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3
gorgon
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| n.丑陋女人，蛇发女怪 | |
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4
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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7
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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8
hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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9
hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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10
thump
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| v.重击，砰然地响；n.重击，重击声 | |
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brazen
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| adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的 | |
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12
malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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13
scaly
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| adj.鱼鳞状的；干燥粗糙的 | |
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14
screeches
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| n.尖锐的声音( screech的名词复数 )v.发出尖叫声( screech的第三人称单数 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫 | |
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15
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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16
brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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17
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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18
talons
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| n.（尤指猛禽的）爪( talon的名词复数 )；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物；锁簧尖状突出部 | |
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19
tusks
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| n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头 | |
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20
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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21
slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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22
perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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23
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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24
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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25
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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26
devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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28
remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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29
ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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31
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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32
reprobates
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| n.道德败坏的人，恶棍( reprobate的名词复数 ) | |
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33
heralds
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| n.使者( herald的名词复数 )；预报者；预兆；传令官v.预示( herald的第三人称单数 )；宣布（好或重要） | |
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34
trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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35
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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36
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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