HOW PERSEUS VOWED A RASH VOW
Fifteen years were past and gone, and the babe was now grown to be a tall lad and a sailor.
His mother called him Perseus, but all the people in the isle called him the King of the Immortals.
For though he was but fifteen, Perseus was taller by a head than any man in the island. And he was brave and truthful, and gentle and courteous, for good old Dictys had trained him well, and well it was for Perseus that he had done so. For now Danæ and her son fell into great danger, and Perseus had need of all his strength to defend his mother and himself.
Polydectes, the King of the island, was not a good man like his brother Dictys, but he was greedy and cunning and cruel.
And when he saw fair Danæ, he wanted to marry her. But she would not, for she did not love him, and cared for no one but her boy.
At last Polydectes became furious, and while Perseus was away at sea, he took poor Danæ away from Dictys, saying, "If you will not be my wife, you shall be my slave."
So Danæ was made a slave, and had to fetch water from the well, and grind in the mill.
But Perseus was far away over the seas, little thinking that his mother was in great grief and sorrow.