Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there lived King Arcrisius, he was a happy, generous man, until something changed everything. He had a daughter, named Princess Danae. But King Arcrisius wanted a son, so that his family name can live on. Desperate, he sought out the help of an Oracle, who tells the future of everyone. When asked by the Oracle what he wants, he asked “Oracle, I want a son, can you tell me whether I’m going to have one or not?” The Oracle closed his eyes and said the world “maya daloa becola paola.” Then the Oracle opened his eyes and answered. “You will have a grandson, not a son of your own, but your daughter. This son will grow up, live and one day, he will kill you.” Then King Arcrisius, surprised, then angry, and stormed around the Oracle. “That will not happen to me, I will live! You are wrong, just wat! Just wait!” roared the king.

Vowing that he will not be killed by his future-grandson, he had to put a stop to somebody marrying Danae. So he locked her up in the tallest tower, and placed the key to the tower into a secure, hidden chest. Danae was sad, and she cried and cried. Then after 20 years of nothing but weeping, golden light swept into the dungeon, the golden light was unusual, was never seen by anyone. It was Zeus, he was to marry Danae to fulfill the Oracle. After a few months Danae had a son, as the Oracle said, she named him Perseus.

She fed him, and told him stories, about the world. But the story which interested Perseus the most was the Gorgon. “At the edge of the world, there is a fearsome monster, she is named the Gorgon, if she looks at you, you will be turned into stone forever, mark my words Perseus, its true. So if you ever see…” But Danae wasn’t able to finish her sentence. The door had slammed open, and King Arcrisius came in. He had heard them while he was passing the steps to the dungeon. Angry that she had a son like the Oracle said, he threw them into the chest, and catapulted them into the sea. They floated and floated for hours, until they had reached another land, found by a fisherman.

He led them to the land’s king, who was jealous and selfish. He fell in love with Danae but he couldn’t, because he knew that her son Perseus would protect her anyway. So he needed to send him away on a quest. After 10 years, he suddenly knew what to send him on. “Perseus, can you please get me the head of the Gorgon to have him ridded first or your mother will be married in 6 days.” Perseus was petrified; he remembered how his mother said the Gorgon can turn you into stone if you look at her straight in the eyes, and Perseus knew that the king would marry his mother, so he had to get the help of Athena and Hermes, who given Perseus a sword and a shield. Perseus asked what to do. They told him to go to the seven sisters. So Perseus went to the seven sisters, and then asked them. They took a while until Perseus took their only eye. Then once they told Perseus, he went to the place where they told them, the edge of the world. Perseus, hidden, took the sword and cut off the head of Medusa. Medusa was screaming and her sisters chased Perseus. He managed to shake them off.

Along the way, he met Andromeda, who was about to be sacrificed to a sea monster. Using the head of Medusa, Perseus turned the sea monster into stone, and Perseus took Andromeda with him. As he arrived back on the place where he started his quest, Perseus took the head again and petrified the evil king.

The End

P.S. What about the prophecy? Well, Perseus was participating in the Olympics for Discus until the disc had been blown by the wind and hit poor King Arcrisius, killing him. Sadly, Perseus took his grandfather’s throne and became king.