Sections: elementary School
During the classes
I. Organization of the lesson
- Hello children!
Let's tune in to good work and smile at each other. I am glad to see your faces, your smiles and I think that our lesson today will bring everyone the joy of communicating with each other.
II. Introductory speech of the teacher
– In the last lesson we read the myth “The Brave Perseus”. Today we will continue to study the myths of Ancient Greece, make a journey through the starry sky, get acquainted with the constellations of Perseus and Andromeda, the heroes of the myths of Ancient Greece will appear before you, you will learn about the history and culture of this wonderful country.
- Guys, why do you need to know the mythology of the ancient heroes and gods? Why do we need myths?
It is not difficult to answer this question. On a clear starry night, we look at the sky and, with a star chart in our hands, try to figure out the constellations.
- Guys, what are constellations? ( A constellation is a group of stars.)
Little by little we distinguish them and say: here are the constellations of Andromeda, Perseus, Pegasus, Cassiopeia, Ursa Major, the constellation of Orion sparkles with its bright stars (shown on the starry sky map). All these are fixed stars; they always shine in the same place. Planets move between them. But what are these names: Andromeda, Perseus, Pegasus, Cassiopeia, Jupiter, Orion? All these are the names of gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines of Ancient Greece and Rome, and the constellations were named so by the ancient Greeks and Romans.
- Let's see where Greece is? ( Showing the borders of Greece on a geographical map.)
- You have a map on your tables with Greece marked in red. Circle it with your finger.
– The Balkan Peninsula is located in the south of Europe. Its southern part protrudes far into the sea. On it is a small mountainous country - Greece.
- Guys, what are myths? ( Myth is a story about heroes and gods..)
In ancient times, when people were just beginning to study the world around them, just starting to explore and explain it, combining truth and fiction, they invented and told amazing stories. This is how many myths about heroes, gods and fantastic creatures developed, myths naively explaining the structure of the world and the fate of people. Myths exist in all nations of the world. But the most common myths of ancient Greece.
III. Journey through the myths
– And now we will make a journey through the myths of Ancient Greece.
a) game time.
Guys, someone is knocking on our door. Let's open the door to the guest. ( Enter the hero of the myth "Brave Perseus")
- Guys, I'm looking for an evil, heartless witch! I can't sit back! After all, it will destroy all the inhabitants of our city, all my relatives and friends! Today I will avenge her for her evil deeds!
- Guys, can we help this young man? (…)
- From what myth did the young man come to us? ( From the myth "Brave Perseus")
Who is our hero looking for? ( He is looking for Medusa Gorgon.)
- Guys, he did not come to us alone, but brought tasks with him. We will play the game "Guess the word", your task is to guess the word.
b) Vocabulary work. ( Tasks from an envelope)
1. A large and magnificent building, usually distinguished by its architecture. ( Castle)
2. A rich and noble person in the old days. ( nobleman)
3. Storage room for supplies. ( Cellar)
4. Sculpture of a person, an animal. ( A statue)
- How do you understand the meaning of the expression "Stands like a statue"? ( Standing completely still)
5. Chair, seat of the king during solemn ceremonies. ( Throne)
(Visibility display)
6. - Guys, what is it? What is it for? ( Sword - a cold weapon with a sharp long blade)
7. - And what is it? What is it for? ( Shield - an ancient metal object to protect against arrows.)
- Repeat this word - shield.
8. How do you understand expressions
- "Rushing like the wind" ( Fast)
- "Sit in one's hands" ( Do nothing, do nothing)
- Guys, what are these expressions called? ( These are phraseological units.)
What phraseological units do you know?
(showing signs with words)
- Read this word. How do you understand this word? Who can explain the meaning of this word?
9. Wander - ( wander, lead a wandering life)
10. Cliff - ( high rock)
11. Fearless - ( brave)
12. Ferocious - ( evil, cruel)
Let's read these words. ( Working with the vocabulary ladder.)
- Well done! You have done well in this task. And now I will check which of you knows the myth best of all.
- And for this, let's remember once again what a myth is?
What do you think: is the myth closer to a fairy tale or a story? Why? ( There are fabulous moments in the myth.)
- Give examples.
c) Text conversation.
What trouble happened in the city? ( A winged woman Medusa Gorgon flew in from somewhere.)
- Describe her. Find and read the description in the text. ( Instead of hair, Medusa Gorgon had long black snakes. They were moving and hissing all the time. She quietly and sadly looked into the eyes of every passer-by, and he immediately turned into a petrified statue..)
What was King Polydectes like? ( He was cowardly and stupid.)
- Who did Perseus see in the royal cellar? ( King Polydectes sat at the table on the throne and merrily feasted with his nobles.)
What dialogue took place between them? Let's find it in the text and read it by roles. But first, let's remember what a dialogue is? ( Dialogue is a conversation between two people.)
Pay attention to the look of Medusa Gorgon: it is quiet and sad. Now find in the text a description of the face of Medusa Gorgon. What was it like?
With this look, she fascinated everyone.
- What trait of Perseus's character appeared in this dialogue? ( Courage, determination, fearlessness, courage, love for the Motherland, for one's Fatherland.)
What words express love for the Motherland? ( I will kill this evil witch! I will save my Motherland from her!)
- How is King Polydect shown here?
“What does Tsar Polydectes say? What intonation? ( derisively.)
Where did Perseus find Medusa Gorgon? ( Under a high mountain near a stream.)
- How did Perseus manage to see Medusa Gorgon without even looking at her? ( With a miraculous shield.)
What happened when Perseus cut off the terrible head of Medusa with one blow of the sword? ( The Medusa sisters have awakened.)
- Whom did Perseus meet on the way? ( Good sorceress Pallas Athena.)
- What did she say to him? Find and read it in the text.
Who is Perseus compared to? ( With a falcon.)
- Guys, you follow the reading, as you will choose the best reader.
- Whose reading did you like? Who read expressively?
- I agree with your opinion. ( Results of the competition "Best Reader")
- How did Perseus deal with the monster? ( The fearless Perseus rose high into the air and, pulling the head of Medusa Gorgon out of a goat fur, showed the ferocious monster.)
What has the monster become? ( Into the great black coastal cliff.)
- What was the girl's name? ( Andromeda.)
—Where was the cowardly Tsar Polydectes? ( In my cellar.)
How did he meet Perseus? ( Find this dialogue in the textbook, let's read it by roles.)
– Were the inhabitants of the city happy when they learned that Polydect was no longer in the world? ( Yes. May Perseus reign over us. He is so brave and kind.)
- Sit down straight, I'll tell you what happened next.
– You have a constellation map on your tables; The constellations Perseus and Andromeda are highlighted in red. Circle them with your finger.
IV. Journey through the starry sky
- Sit straight, straighten your back. We will make a journey through the starry sky.
- Guys, do you like to look at the sky and admire the stars? What constellations do you know? (…..)
Look at the sky map, it shows the constellations. I will tell you about them.
- The world of stars is unusually rich and diverse, and the more you guys learn about it, the more exciting our journey through the starry sky will be. On a cloudless clear evening, the sky above your head is strewn with many stars. They appear as small sparkling dots because they are so far from the Earth. In fact, stars are huge hot balls of gas similar to the Sun. The hottest ones are blue. Our Sun belongs to the less hot yellow stars. Some stars are red. They are relatively cold.
- If you connect certain stars on the map with conditional white lines, then you will see fabulous figures - constellations, each of which has its own name. On the map they are signed in large capital letters.
a). Drawing up a plan according to the illustrations. (Illustrations are hung on the board.)
- And now, guys, consider these drawings for the myth. Look carefully. How would you title it?
1. Death of Medusa Gorgon.
2. Perseus frees Andromeda.
3. The monster is petrified forever.
b) Word drawing.
- Guys, you were given a homework assignment to draw your favorite moment.
What episode do you remember?
– Let's turn to your exhibition. (Analysis of 2–3 student work.)
V. Physical education
VI. Competition for the best connoisseur of myth
- And now we will hold a competition for the best expert on myth, the most active ones will receive awards.
- Guess what character we are talking about.
1. She slowly walked through the streets, and anyone who looked at her, at the same moment became a stone. ( Medusa Gorgon.)
2. He was cowardly and stupid; he was so frightened of the Gorgon Medusa that he ran away from the palace and hid with his nobles in the cellar, deep underground. ( King Polydectes.)
3. Glory to the hero! Because you were not afraid of the Gorgon Medusa and saved your city from her. ( Perseus.)
4. Who said these words? ( Athena Pallas.)
5. The rock stood on the shore, all illuminated by the sun, and a girl was chained to it with an iron chain, who wept bitterly. ( Andromeda.)
6. Which of the heroes of the myth belongs to the words "The brave man is not afraid of death." ( Perseus.)
7. "Such a warrior that sits under a bush and howls." ( polydect.)
Summing up the competition.
VII. Testing
- And now, guys, I'll check which of you was attentive, we will conduct a test for attentiveness.
1. Which of the heroes of the myth is compared with a falcon?
a) Perseus
b) Polydect.
2. Which of the heroes of the myth is given a characteristic: brave, fearless, kind.
a) Perseus.
b) Polydect.
c) Sea monster.
3. Which of the heroes owns the following words:
- Hey, you! I hope you didn't come empty-handed! Would you like to give me some strange fish? Or juicy berries and sweet fruits?
a) Perseus.
b) Polydect.
VIII. Presentation of the book exhibition
- Guys, did you like Perseus? Why?
– Why is the myth called “The Brave Perseus”?
- Would you like to be like Perseus? Why?
- Can Perseus be called a hero?
– Would you like to meet the heroes of the myth again?
IX. Lesson summary
- And now, guys, let's share our impressions about our lesson.
– What did you learn new?
- What episodes did you find especially sad?
Where was it funny?
- This lesson is over. Thank you for the lesson.
Year of writing: 1936
Genre: story
Main characters: Perseus, Andromeda, Jellyfish
Plot
Perseus entered into battle with Medusa, from one look into whose eyes people turned to stone. The young man was able to defeat this creature with the help of a mirror shield and cut off its head and hid it in a bag.
Returning to his homeland, he saw a beautiful girl chained to a rock. He asked why it was done. And she answered that she was prepared as a sacrifice to the sea dragon, who once a year comes out of the sea and takes the most beautiful maiden.
And at that moment a huge monster appeared from the depths of the sea, but Perseus was not taken aback, but pulled out the head of Medusa from the bag and showed it to the dragon, from the latter the eyes of the sorceress turned to stone. From now on, the inhabitants of this country did not have to sacrifice their daughters, and the beautiful Andromeda became the wife of a young man.
Conclusion (my opinion)
With the help of myths, people in ancient times explained the appearance of planets, stars, the sun, the moon, arts and crafts. The constellation Perseus and the radiant star Andromeda shine in the sky, looking at which we recall a wonderful legend designed to perpetuate the courage and valor of our ancestors in the memory of our descendants.
Korney Chukovsky fairy tale "The Brave Perseus"
The main characters of the fairy tale "Brave Perseus" and their characteristics
- Perseus, a very brave and courageous young man who was not afraid of anything. He loved his country very much and could not see the suffering of other people. He was kind and responsive.
- Andromeda, a beautiful girl who was almost fed to the Dragon.
- Polidekt, a greedy and cowardly king, a big fan of parties in basements.
- Appearance in the city of Medusa
- Cellar of Polidekt
- Perseus promises to kill Medusa
- Perseus finds the lair and kills Medusa
- Sisters of the Gorgon.
- Sorceress Athena and flying sandals
- chained beauty
- stone dragon
- Wedding of Perseus and Andromeda
- Return of Perseus
- stone king
- Perseus and Andromeda fly away
- The city was attacked by Medusa Gorgon, who turned people into stones, and King Polydekt hid in the basement
- Perseus is looking for Medusa and promises Polydectes to bring her head.
- Perseus kills Medusa, flees from her sisters, and Athena gives him sandals.
- Perseus saves Andromeda by turning a huge dragon to stone
- Perseus shows the head of Medusa to Polydectes, who becomes a stone.
- Perseus refuses to be King and flies away with Andromeda.
A brave and brave heart knows no barriers and strives to help other people.
What does the tale "The Brave Perseus" teach
This tale teaches us courage and selflessness. It teaches not to be afraid of enemies, not to retreat and not to surrender. Teaches that all the treasures of the world cannot be compared with love. It teaches that one cannot be cowardly and greedy, that these vices will surely bring a person to a bad end.
Review of the fairy tale "The Brave Perseus"
I really liked how Korney Chukovsky remade the ancient Greek myth. He made it into a story about serving the motherland, serving the people. I really liked the way Perseus conducted his business, he did not think about death and won where others gave in. This is a wonderful story with such a beautiful and romantic ending.
Proverbs to the fairy tale "The Brave Perseus"
Better to fight like an eagle than live like a hare.
Either the chest is in crosses, or the head is in the bushes.
The brave coward behind the stove.
Summary, brief retelling of the tale "Brave Perseus"
Trouble came to one ancient city - a terrible monster named Gorgon Medusa settled next to it. She was a beautiful woman, but snakes writhed around her instead of hair, and everyone she looked at turned into stone.
Many of the inhabitants of the city were turned by Medusa into stones, and King Polydect hid with the nobles in the basement of the palace and feasted there.
The brave young man Perseus lived in this city, who decided to kill Medusa. He asked everyone where to find Medusa's lair, but no one knew.
Perseus also went down to the basement to Polydectes and promised to bring him the greatest treasure - the head of Medusa. But Polydectes only laughed at him.
Finally, the old man pointed out to Perseus where the jellyfish lives, and the young man climbed a high mountain. There he saw Medusa and her sisters, who looked like pigs.
Perseus began to look into his copper shield and ran up to Medusa. With one blow, he cut off the head of the monster and threw it into his bag. Then Perseus ran away, and the sisters of Medusa flew after him and asked him to give his head.
But Perseus ran fast and soon overtook the Gorgon sisters.
He met the sorceress Pallas Athena, who gave Perseus flying sandals. Perseus put on sandals and flew through the desert.
Suddenly he saw a girl on the seashore who was chained to a rock. She said that she had been sacrificed to a terrible dragon, but Perseus was not afraid and freed the girl. He waited for the dragon to appear, and with the head of Medusa he turned it into stone.
The inhabitants of the city welcomed Perseus, and he and Andromeda, that was the name of the girl, got married.
Perseus gave Andromeda one sandal and they flew to Perseus' hometown. Perseus went down to the basement to Polydectes and said that he had brought the head of the Gorgon.
But Polydectes only laughed, saying that there was a gourd in the bag. Then Perseus took out the head of Medusa and the king and the nobles turned into stone.
The inhabitants of the city called Perseus to become king, but the hero refused. He threw the head of Medusa into the sea and flew away with his Andromeda.
Drawings and illustrations for the fairy tale "The Brave Perseus"
The king of Argos, Acrisius, had only one child - the daughter of Danae. The oracle foretold Acrisius that his own grandson would kill him. Having heard this prophecy, Acrisius imprisoned Danae in a copper tower, guarded by ferocious dogs, so that not a single man could approach her. But the god Zeus, who fell in love with Danae, overcame all obstacles. He descended to her in the form of a golden rain, and Danae gave birth to a son from the king of the gods - Perseus.
Danae. Painting by Rembrandt, 1636-1643
Acrisius, having learned about this, did not believe in the paternity of Zeus. Since the birth of Perseus, according to the oracle, threatened him with mortal danger, Acrisius put Danae and his son in a wooden box and threw him into the sea. Near the island of Serif, the box was caught in a net by the fisherman Dictis, who took the rescued Danae and Perseus to his brother, the king of Serif, Polydectes. Perseus grew up in his house.
Years later, Polydect decided to forcibly make Danaë his wife. The matured Perseus opposed this. Then Polydekt for the sake of appearance announced that he would marry Hippodamia, the daughter of the hero Pelops, and asked all his entourage to bring him gifts that he could give to his bride. Perseus, delighted that the king would no longer harass his mother, promised to get any gift for Polydect - "if necessary, then the head of the Gorgon Medusa."
The sinister female monsters of the Gorgon lived at the end of the world. Of the three Gorgon sisters, only Medusa was mortal - and the most terrible. Instead of hair, snakes moved on her head, fangs were sharp as daggers in her mouth. The sight of Medusa was so disgusting that anyone who cast a glance at her turned to stone in horror. Hearing the reckless promise of Perseus, Polydect was delighted with the opportunity to get rid of the uncomfortable young man and demanded to fulfill this word.
Head of Medusa. Painting by Rubens, c. 1617-1618
From the dead body of the Gorgon, the winged horse Pegasus and the warrior Chrysaor with a golden sword soared up, whom Medusa conceived from the god Poseidon in one of the temples of Athena. Putting his severed head into a bag, Perseus in winged sandals rushed to his heels through the air. The sisters of Medusa, the Gorgons Stheno and Euryale, rushed after the killer in pursuit. But the cap of Hades made Perseus invisible, and he escaped safely.
Jellyfish. Painter Caravaggio, 1595-1596
At sunset, Perseus flew to the palace of the titan Atlanta, brother of Prometheus, who lived on the western edge of the earth. Rich Atlas owned thousands of herds of cattle, but his most valuable asset was a tree with golden apples. The goddess Themis predicted to Atlanta that one day the son of Zeus would steal these apples from him. This prophecy concerned one of the future exploits of Hercules. But when Perseus, who flew to Atlanta, also called himself the son of Zeus, the titan suspected him of a thief, whose appearance was predicted by Themis. Atlas refused Perseus hospitality and rudely demanded that he get out. As punishment for this, the hero showed the titan the head of the Gorgon, and he turned into Mount Atlas, which has been rising ever since in the middle of the Libyan desert, supporting the sky with its peaks.
Perseus flew further east, through the Libyan desert. A few drops of the blood of Medusa the Gorgon fell down, and gave birth to poisonous snakes, which abound in the Libyan sands from that time. Having made a stop in the Egyptian Hemmis, Perseus reached Ethiopia, where he saw a naked girl chained to a rock on the seashore. In the soul of Perseus arose love for her. The girl was Andromeda, the daughter of the Ethiopian king Cepheus (Cepheus) and his wife Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia once boasted that she and her daughter were more beautiful than the water goddesses of the Nereids. They complained about this insult to the sea god Poseidon. Poseidon sent a flood and a terrible sea monster to the kingdom of Cepheus. The oracle announced to Cepheus that it is possible to escape from these troubles only by sacrificing the sea monster Andromeda. The king's daughter was chained to a rock, and the Ethiopians, gathered on the shore, waited for the monster to swallow Andromeda.
Descending from the air to Cepheus and Cassiopeia, who were standing by the sea, Perseus took an oath from them to give Andromeda for him in exchange for her salvation. Soaring up again, Perseus put on the cap of Hades, grabbed the sickle given to him by Hermes and, rushing at the monster approaching the sea, killed him.
Perseus and Andromeda. Artist G. Vasari, 1570-1572
Cepheus and Cassiopeia held a feast in the palace in honor of the wedding of Perseus and Andromeda, but in their hearts they did not want this marriage, because their daughter had previously been promised to Cepheus' brother, Phineus. During the feast, Phineus with armed companions broke into the palace, demanding to stop the wedding and give him Andromeda. Phinea secretly supported Cassiopeia, who wanted Perseus dead.
The bloody battle of Perseus with the people of Phineus began. Perseus killed many opponents in her. But since there were still a lot of enemies, the hero took out the head of the Gorgon from the wonderful bag and showed it to the Ethiopians who attacked him. Two hundred people, led by Phineas himself, turned to stone from this.
God Poseidon placed the image of Cepheus and Cassiopeia among the stars. Cassiopeia, as a punishment for the betrayal of Perseus, was put in heaven in a market basket, which, due to the rotation of the star vault, turned over at certain times of the year along with the queen sitting with her.
Andromeda and Perseus were later also taken to heaven, but for the time being they, having left Ethiopia, arrived on the island of Serif. There the hero learned that his mother Danae had taken refuge from the violence of the insidious king Polydectes in the temple. Perseus went to the palace where Polydectes was feasting and announced that he had brought the promised gift to the king. Pulling out the head of the Gorgon Medusa, he made Polydectes and all his sycophants turn to stone. On the Serif, these stones are still shown standing in the form of a circle.
BRAVE PERSEUS
ancient greek myth
There was a big problem in one city. A winged woman Medusa Gorgon flew in from somewhere. She slowly walked through the streets, and anyone who looked at her, at the same moment became a stone.
Instead of hair, Medusa Gorgon had long black snakes. They were moving and hissing all the time.
She quietly and sadly looked into the eyes of every passer-by, and he immediately turned into a petrified statue. And if a bird, flying over the earth, looked at Medusa Gorgon, the bird fell like a stone to the ground.
It was a wonderful summer day. On the lawns, in the gardens and on the streets many children were running. They played funny games, jumped, danced, laughed and sang. But as soon as Medusa Gorgon passed by them, they turned into a cold pile of stones.
* * *
In the same city, King Polydectes lived in a magnificent palace. He was cowardly and stupid: he was so afraid of the Gorgon Medusa that he ran away from the palace and hid with his nobles in the cellar, deep underground.
“Here I can not be afraid of Medusa Gorgo-na,” he said with a laugh. She can't find me here!
There was plenty of wine and food in the cellar; the king sat at the table and feasted with his nobles. What did he care that in the city, up there, people were dying one after another and could not escape from the cruel sorceress!
Fortunately, the brave Perseus lived in this city. Everyone loved him very much. He was never afraid of anyone.
When the terrible Gorgon Medusa passed through the city, he was not at home. In the evening, Perseus returned home. Neighbors told him about Medusa Gorgon.
- Wicked, heartless sorceress! he cried. “I will go and kill her.”
The neighbors shook their heads sadly and said:
- There were many such daredevils who wanted to fight Medusa Gorgon. But none of them returned here: she turned them all into stones.
But I can't just sit back! After all, it will destroy all the inhabitants of our city, all my relatives and friends! Today I will avenge her for her evil deeds.
And Perseus ran through the streets, asking everyone he met where the dwelling of Medusa Gorgon was.
But no one answered him. Everyone wept over some stone.
Perseus looked on the way to each house: is there Medusa Gorgon there.
Passing by the royal cellar, he thought: is she not there? He ran down the stairs - and saw the king in the dungeon!
King Polydectes sat at the table on the throne and merrily feasted with his nobles.
- Hey, you! he shouted to Perseus. I hope you didn't come here empty-handed! Would you like to give me some strange fish? Or juicy berries and sweet fruits?
"No," said Perseus. -I did not bring anything - no fish, no fruits, no berries. But soon I will bring you a precious gift that will delight and cheer your heart.
The king's eyes sparkled with greed.
“Dear young man,” he said in a friendly voice, “come closer to me and tell me what precious gift you are going to bring me. Maybe you found a pearl or a golden crown at the bottom of the sea?
- No, - Perseus answered, - my gift is more expensive than gold, more expensive than the best pearls.
- What is it? Tell!
- Head of Medusa Gorgon! I will kill this evil witch. I will save my country from her!
The king slammed his fist on the table:
“Get away from me, you pathetic madman!” Or do you not know that thousands of my valiant warriors tried to destroy Medusa, but she turned many into stones, and the rest fled from her like from a fierce beast?
- Your warriors are the same cowards as you! Perseus replied angrily. But I'm not afraid of anyone or anything! I will not run away from Medusa Gorgon. And you will get her head from me!
Saying this, he turned and quickly walked out of the basement. Forgetting about everything in the world, he now thought about one thing: how to find Medusa Gorgon and save his native country from her. But in vain he wandered through the streets of the city all night until morning. Only in the morning did he meet a familiar fisherman who said that Medusa lives nearby, under a high mountain, by a stream.
By evening, Perseus reached a high mountain,
on the slope of which, among the gray stones under the trees, the Gorgon Medusa slept soundly. Perseus drew his sword and rushed down the ledge of the mountains, but soon stopped and thought:
"Because to cut off the head of a sleeping sorceress, I must look at her, and if I look at her, she will immediately turn me to stone."
He raised his copper shield - round, shiny and smooth - and began to look into it, as one looks into a mirror. This shield reflected both trees and gray stones that were on the side of the mountain. It also reflected a sleeping woman, who had not hair around her head, but black snakes.
So Perseus managed to see Medusa Gorgon with the help of a wonderful shield, never looking at her.
Medusa slept on the ground next to her ugly sisters, who looked like big fat pigs. Her wings sparkled like a rainbow, she had such a beautiful, sad, thoughtful young face that Perseus felt sorry for killing her.
But then he saw that black poisonous snakes were moving on the head of Medusa, he remembered how many innocent people and children this evil beauty killed, how many kind, happy, cheerful she turned into dead stones.
And even more than before, he wanted to deal with her.
Looking at the mirror shield, which reflects
lass. Medusa, Perseus ran up to her and immediately cut off her terrible head with one blow of the sword. The head flew off and rolled towards the stream. But Perseus did not even look at her now, because even now she could turn him into stone. He took a bag made of goat fur, threw the head of Medusa into it and quickly ran through the mountains.
The Medusa sisters have awakened. Seeing that Medusa was killed, they flew into the air with screams and, like birds of prey, began to circle over the trees. So they noticed Perseus and flew after him.
“Give us our sister's head!” they shouted. “Give us our sister's head!”
Perseus ran through the mountains without looking back, and more than once it seemed to him that the terrible Gorgons overtook
yut him. Now they will plunge their sharp copper claws into him!
But for a long time they could not fly, as they were fat and very heavy. Little by little they began to fall behind, but they still shouted after him:
- Give us the head of our sister!
Perseus fled without looking back. He ran through the desert, and the blood from the head of Medusa dripped onto the hot sand, and each drop turned into a snake.
The snakes writhed and crawled after Perseus, trying to sting him. But he rushed like the wind, not afraid of anything, and he had joy in his heart. Killed, killed Medusa Gorgon! She won't be evil anymore.
On the way, he met a kind sorceress named Pallas Athena, who said to him:
- Glory to the hero! For the fact that you were not afraid of Medusa and saved your city from her, accept these sandals as a gift. They are magical. You see, they have wings attached to them. Put them on your feet soon and you will fly like a bird.
Saying this, the sorceress disappeared. As soon as Perseus put on sandals, the wings fluttered on them, and he, like a falcon, flew over the desert.
Soon he flew out to the blue sea and quickly rushed over it. And suddenly I saw a big rock. The rock stood on the shore, all illuminated by the sun, and a girl was chained to it with an iron chain, who sobbed bitterly. Perseus flew up to her and shouted:
- Tell me, beautiful girl, what cruel people chained you to this rock? I will go and cut them down with my sharp sword!
- Go away, go away! she screamed. - Soon a dragon will emerge from the sea, a terrible sea monster. He will swallow both you and me! Every day he swims up here, climbs the mountain, prowls through our city and devours people there. He swallows indiscriminately both old and small. To escape from him, the inhabitants of the city chained me to this rock: the dragon will see me and immediately swallow me, and all the people in our city will remain alive.
- I'm not afraid of the sea monster! shouted the fearless Perseus. - Today I destroyed another monster, which is much more terrible!
But the girl felt sorry for Perseus.
- Leave me alone! - she said. I don't want to be swallowed by a monster.
No, I won't leave you! I will stay and kill
this evil dragon swallowing defenseless people
dey! - And he hit hard with his sharp sword
by the chain with which the girl was chained.
You are free! - he said.
She laughed, rejoiced, and tenderly thanked her deliverer. But suddenly she turned around and shouted:
- The monster is close! It floats here! What to do? What to do? He has such sharp teeth. It will tear apart, swallow both you and me. Go away, go away! I don't want you to die because of me.
-I will stay here, - said Perseus. - I will save both you and your city from the evil dragon. Promise me that if I destroy him, you will be my wife and will go with me to my country.
The dragon was getting closer. He rushed through the waves like a ship. Seeing the girl, he greedily opened his wide toothy mouth and rushed to the shore to swallow his victim. But the fearless Perseus rose into the air and, pulling the head of the Gorgon Medusa out of the goat fur, showed it to the ferocious monster.
The monster looked at the magic head and immediately petrified forever - turned into a huge black coastal cliff.
The girl was saved. Perseus rushed to her, took her in his arms and ran with her to the top of the mountain, to the city that was threatened by the monster.
Everyone in the city was glad and happy. People hugged and kissed Perseus and shouted to him in delight:
- Long live the great hero who saved our country from destruction!
The girl had a beautiful name: Andromeda. Soon she became the wife of Perseus, he gave her one of his wonderful sandals - and both of them flew to the city in which the cowardly Polydect reigned.
It turned out that Tsar Polydekt was still hiding in his dungeon and feasting with his nobles.
As soon as the king saw Perseus, he laughed
and shouted: - Come here, you braggart! Well, where is your Medusa Gorgon? Apparently, it is easier to promise than to fulfill!
- No, king, I fulfilled my promise: I brought you a wonderful gift - the head of Medusa Gorgon! But you'd better not look at her.
- No no! - shouted the king. - Show me! I do not
believe you. You are a braggart and a liar! - Her head is here in this gray bag. - You are lying. I don't believe you, - said the king. - There you have the most ordinary pumpkin. - Well! If you don't believe me, look! - Perseus shouted with a laugh, took out the head of the Gorgon Medusa from the bag and, closing his eyes so as not to look at her, showed it to the king and nobles.
They wanted to get up and run away, but they could not and remained where they were.
- Here is your reward for the fact that you, miserable cowards, hid from formidable danger and left your people to perish, while you yourself feasted from morning to morning.
But no one answered him, because both the king and the nobles became a heap of stones.
The inhabitants of this city were very happy when they learned that Polydect was no longer in the world.
- May Perseus reign over us! they shouted. “He is so brave and kind.
But Perseus did not want to be king. He threw the head of the Gorgon Medusa into the abyss of the sea and went to a distant land with his sweet wife Andromeda.
Come out of the house on a clear night and look | a sky littered with bright stars. You see. constellation young Perseus. Perseus has the head of Medusa in his hand, but do not be afraid to look at her: she can no longer turn you into stone. Next to Perseus you will see his beautiful wife Andro-meda. Her hands are raised up, as if they are chained to the rock. For thousands of years, people have been looking at these constellations and remembering the glorious hero Perseus, who saved everyone from the Gorgon Medusa and from the cruel sea monster.
