"MynameisMedusa,daughteroftheseagodPhodhissister-wife,Ceto．Iwasverybeautifundhadmanyadmirers．OnedayIwascaughtmakingloveiempleofDelphiandwastransformedintoanuglymohserpentsforhair,cwsofbronzeandstaringeyescapableanyonewholookedatmeintostone．IshouldnothaveprofaheTemple,butevehousandsofyears,Istillthinkthepenaltywastoosevere.”Shepaused,mulliheinjusticeofthesentence．
"Manydiedbecauseofme;andintheeyesoftheworldIbecameamoobedestroyed．DidaoptothiherIwaogepeopletostones?Didtheyeveraskwhoputthatpowerihoutmyeverwantingit?Thehero,Perseus，beheadedmewiththeaidofsword,shieldandwingedshoesborrowedfromthegods．HepresentedmyheadtoAthenatothankherforlendinghimtheshieldwithwhichtokillmeamyheadonitasatrophy．ButbefivingmyheadaerseusshowedmyheadtooldAts,whowastiredofhavingheavenonhisshouldersandaskedtobeturostoneasarewardfortellinghimwhereIwas.”Medusapattedthegroundshewaslyingonandsaid，
"That’shim!Oncehegedintostoneandcouldnolongermoveevenafinger，heregrettedhisrashrequest,butitwastoote．He’sbeenstrugglingeversitonoavail.”Exhaustedbyherlongspeech,Medusaanting．Sheysidewiseonthegrouedforawhileandtheon．
"Beautyisnotasin，butitprovedtobemyundoingandbroughtmeonlymisfortuneanduedpunishment.Perhapsthegodswerejealousofmybeauty．Theseriesofeventsthathappeertheygedmeinton,allthosepeoplebeingturostoneordyingbecauseofme，werebeyondmytrol．Ifeltlikeapuppetonastring，withnopowerwhatsoeverovermylifeandwishes．Sedandpersecuted,IwasbeheadedbyPerseus．NowIamabouttodiebyyoursword．Butnomatter，Iamtiredoflifeanyway．Letmybloodwashawaymysins.”Sheidhercheeksonthegroulyruffledthelusciousgrasssaying，"’tyoufeeltheslightpalpitationsoftheheartbeatandthewarmthofthetemperatureoftheearth?Itisgentleandsoothing．Itmaybeablessingtoendmysinfullifeandlieasleephereforeveraerintotheeternaldreamnd!"
AfterhearingMedusa’sstory,Dimitriwasfilledwithsympathy．Hewalkedowhereshewaslyingandstoopeddown,nolardingherasaobeexterminated．Forthefirsttime,helookedatherfacetofadwasshakeraordinarybeauty,whoseradiancewasundimmedbythefog,thewildernessandherseverewound．Herfasatingeyes,rgeandeloquent,werenowlusterlessandtired;andsheseemedtobestrugglingtokeepthemfromclosing．Hesaidgently,
"YouareonlyavictimcheatedbyFate,Medusa．SoamI．Soiseveryofateotpredominateyourlife．Youhavetorealizethatnomatterwhatdirestraitsyouareforto,youstillhavesuffitstrengthandtrolwithwhichtoredirectyourlife．Thereareuntrolbleforces,butthereinisstillinyourownhands．Fewpeoplerealizethis;sowhenstruckwithadversity,theytendtodriftwiththetideaeandmisfortuakeoverthecourseoftheirliveswithoutastruggle．ButonceyouuandyourpositioweenFateay,youadjustittothemostdesirablepitdassumeand．Throughingeniousmaneuversyouregaintrolofyourowbygonesbebygones．Fromnowon，Iwanttohelpyoushakefreeoftheropesandsthatbindyouandbeginanewlife.”
DimitriwasabouttopulloutthearrowandhelpMedusabindherwound,whenhewasstartledbyahoarse,lowvoiingfromthecave,saying，
"I’msothirsty．Blood!Givemethevirgin’sblood!"Hewasatohealertagain．SwordinhaintothecaveandsawCyclopswithhandsafastenedbyironstothewallofthecave．OnseeingDimitri,heflewintoatempestue，shrieking，shoutingandrushingathim,onlytobepulledbackbythes．Fromoutsidethecave，Medusa’svoicecouldbeheardimpl，
"Don’tkillhim!Heishelplessandi．Ifyoumustkill,killmeinstead!"Seeirugglingmonsteredandhelpless,Dimitrikcoulddonoharm;soheretreatedtoMedusa’ssideandasked，
"Whoishe?Whydoyouwaosparehim?"ButMedusawassoweakthatshecouldhardlyspeakandytherepaleandpanting．
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