<h2><!-- page 1--><SPAN name="page1"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>STORY I.—PERSEUS</h2>
<h3>PART I<br/> HOW PERSEUS AND HIS MOTHER CAME TO SERIPHOS</h3>
<p>Once upon a time there were two princes who were twins.
Their names were Acrisius and Prœtus, and they lived in the
pleasant vale of Argos, far away in Hellas. They had
fruitful meadows and vineyards, sheep and oxen, great herds of
horses feeding down in Lerna Fen, and all that men could need to
make them blest: and yet they were wretched, because they were
jealous of each other. From the moment they were born they
began to quarrel; and when they grew up each tried to take away
the other’s share of the kingdom, and keep all for
himself. So first Acrisius drove out Prœtus; and he
went across the seas, and brought home a foreign princess for his
wife, and foreign warriors to help him, who were called Cyclopes;
and drove out Acrisius in his turn; and then they fought a long
while up and down the land, till the quarrel was settled, and
Acrisius took Argos and one half the land, and Prœtus took
Tiryns and the other half. And Prœtus and his
Cyclopes built around Tiryns great walls of unhewn stone, which
are standing to this day.</p>
<p>But there came a prophet to that hard-hearted Acrisius and
prophesied against him, and said, ‘Because you have risen
up against your own blood, your own blood shall rise up against
you; because you have sinned against your kindred, by your
kindred you shall be punished. Your daughter Danae shall
bear a son, and by that son’s hands you shall die. So
the Gods have ordained, and it will surely come to
pass.’</p>
<p>And at that Acrisius was very much afraid; but he did not mend
his ways. He had been cruel to his own family, and, instead
of repenting and being kind to them, he went on to be more cruel
than ever: for he shut up his fair daughter Danae in a cavern
underground, lined with brass, that no one might come near
her. So he fancied himself more cunning than the Gods: but
you will see presently whether he was able to escape them.</p>
<p>Now it came to pass that in time Danae bore a son; so
beautiful a babe that any but King Acrisius would have had pity
on it. But he had no pity; for he took Danae and her babe
down to the seashore, and put them into a great chest and thrust
them out to sea, for the winds and the waves to carry them
whithersoever they would.</p>
<p>The north-west wind blew freshly out of the blue mountains,
and down the pleasant vale of Argos, and away and out to
sea. And away and out to sea before it floated the mother
and her babe, while all who watched them wept, save that cruel
father, King Acrisius.</p>
<p>So they floated on and on, and the chest danced up and down
upon the billows, and the baby slept upon its mother’s
breast: but the poor mother could not sleep, but watched and
wept, and she sang to her baby as they floated; and the song
which she sang you shall learn yourselves some day.</p>
<p>And now they are past the last blue headland, and in the open
sea; and there is nothing round them but the waves, and the sky,
and the wind. But the waves are gentle, and the sky is
clear, and the breeze is tender and low; for these are the days
when Halcyone and Ceyx build their nests, and no storms ever
ruffle the pleasant summer sea.</p>
<p style="text-align: center">
<SPAN href="images/p4b.jpg">
<ANTIMG alt= "Danae and her babe" title= "Danae and her babe" src="images/p4s.jpg" /></SPAN></p>
<p>And who were Halcyone and Ceyx? You shall hear while the
chest floats on. Halcyone was a fairy maiden, the daughter
of the beach and of the wind. And she loved a sailor-boy,
and married him; and none on earth were so happy as they.
But at last Ceyx was wrecked; and before he could swim to the
shore the billows swallowed him up. And Halcyone saw him
drowning, and leapt into the sea to him; but in vain. Then
the Immortals took pity on them both, and changed them into two
fair sea-birds; and now they build a floating nest every year,
and sail up and down happily for ever upon the pleasant seas of
Greece.</p>
<p>So a night passed, and a day, and a long day it was for Danae;
and another night and day beside, till Danae was faint with
hunger and weeping, and yet no land appeared. And all the
while the babe slept quietly; and at last poor Danae drooped her
head and fell asleep likewise with her cheek against the
babe’s.</p>
<p>After a while she was awakened suddenly; for the chest was
jarring and grinding, and the air was full of sound. She
looked up, and over her head were mighty cliffs, all red in the
setting sun, and around her rocks and breakers, and flying flakes
of foam. She clasped her hands together, and shrieked aloud
for help. And when she cried, help met her: for now there
came over the rocks a tall and stately man, and looked down
wondering upon poor Danae tossing about in the chest among the
waves.</p>
<p>He wore a rough cloak of frieze, and on his head a broad hat
to shade his face; in his hand he carried a trident for spearing
fish, and over his shoulder was a casting-net; but Danae could
see that he was no common man by his stature, and his walk, and
his flowing golden hair and beard; and by the two servants who
came behind him, carrying baskets for his fish. But she had
hardly time to look at him, before he had laid aside his trident
and leapt down the rocks, and thrown his casting-net so surely
over Danae and the chest, that he drew it, and her, and the baby,
safe upon a ledge of rock.</p>
<p>Then the fisherman took Danae by the hand, and lifted her out
of the chest, and said—</p>
<p>‘O beautiful damsel, what strange chance has brought you
to this island in so flail a ship? Who are you, and
whence? Surely you are some king’s daughter; and this
boy has somewhat more than mortal.’</p>
<p>And as he spoke he pointed to the babe; for its face shone
like the morning star.</p>
<p>But Danae only held down her head, and sobbed out—</p>
<p>‘Tell me to what land I have come, unhappy that I am;
and among what men I have fallen!’</p>
<p>And he said, ‘This isle is called Seriphos, and I am a
Hellen, and dwell in it. I am the brother of Polydectes the
king; and men call me Dictys the netter, because I catch the fish
of the shore.’</p>
<p>Then Danae fell down at his feet, and embraced his knees, and
cried—</p>
<p>‘Oh, sir, have pity upon a stranger, whom a cruel doom
has driven to your land; and let me live in your house as a
servant; but treat me honourably, for I was once a king’s
daughter, and this my boy (as you have truly said) is of no
common race. I will not be a charge to you, or eat the
bread of idleness; for I am more skilful in weaving and
embroidery than all the maidens of my land.’</p>
<p>And she was going on; but Dictys stopped her, and raised her
up, and said—</p>
<p>‘My daughter, I am old, and my hairs are growing gray;
while I have no children to make my home cheerful. Come
with me then, and you shall be a daughter to me and to my wife,
and this babe shall be our grandchild. For I fear the Gods,
and show hospitality to all strangers; knowing that good deeds,
like evil ones, always return to those who do them.’</p>
<p>So Danae was comforted, and went home with Dictys the good
fisherman, and was a daughter to him and to his wife, till
fifteen years were past.</p>
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