Perseus and the Mirror Shield

Perseus was a boy who lived by the sea with his mother. One day a king said, "Bring me the head of the terrible Medusa, the snake-haired creature who turns everyone who looks at her to stone!"

Perseus was frightened, but he wanted to be brave.

The goddess Athena came down from the clouds. She held out her shining shield. "Use this as a mirror," she said. "Look at Medusa's reflection, never look at her face."

Perseus took the shield. He flew on winged sandals to a land far, far away, where grey rocks crumbled into mist. He found the cave where Medusa slept.

He turned away from her and looked at the shiny shield. In the reflection, he could see her, the long writhing snakes, the sleeping eyes. Carefully, carefully, he raised his sword and, snip! He tucked the head safely into his bag and flew away as fast as his winged sandals could carry him.

When Perseus came home, the king was astonished. Everyone cheered. And Athena took the shield back and hung Medusa's head upon it, so that anyone who tried to harm Perseus would be turned to stone.

Perseus hugged his mother. The brave thing, he had learned, was not to fight without fear, it was to find the clever way through.

He went to sleep that night with his winged sandals tucked beneath his pillow, dreaming of clouds.