Perseus II: 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, and went many voyages after merchandise to the islands round. His mother called him Perseus: but all the people in Seriphos said that he was not the son of mortal man, and called him the son of Zeus, the king of the Immortals. For though he was but fifteen, he was taller by a head than any man in the island; and he was the most skilful of all in running and wrestling and boxing, and in throwing the quoit and the javelin, and in rowing with the oar, and in...

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Perseus I : How Perseus and His Mother Came to Seriphos

Once upon a time there were two princes who were twins. Their names were Acrisius and Proetus, and they lived in the pleasant vale of Argos, far away in Hellas. They had fruitful meadows and vineyards, sheep and oxen, great herds of horses feeding down in Lerna Fen, and all that men could need to make them blest; and yet they were wretched, because they were jealous of each other. From the moment they were born they began to quarrel; and when they grew up, each tried to take away the other's share of the kingdom, and keep all for himself. So,...

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An Unforgettable Serpent by G. Laycock

QUITE POSSIBLY there will never again be a day in the life of Peninsula, Ohio, even remotely like Sunday, June 25, 1944. At least, most of the older citizens of that quiet little Ohio village hope such a day does not dawn again.In the early morning, dairy farmers were getting the milking done. The housewives were in their kitchens fixing hot breakfast. Many of the men had forsaken church on this special day. Instead they dressed in their field clothes and headed to town.There they joined a growing throng of men, boys, and hound-dogs milling around...

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Dragons of Komodo by G. Laycock

IN THE FAILING YELLOW LIGHT of early evening the little fishing boat rocked gently in the bay off the quiet and mysterious island. The two-man crew stared up at at the forbidding mountains. Were the tales they had heard of this place true? They were torn between two emotions, a deep curiosity and desire to go ashore to explore, and an equally deep fear of what they might find there.This island in Indonesia, northwest of Australia,is one of the green dots of land in the blue Flores Sea. Elsewhere such island might be famous for grass=skirted girls...

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Old Mose by G. Laycock

EARLY IN THIS CENTURY the high mountain country of south-central Colorado was home to a monster with a reputation that sent chills up the spines of strong men. If word went out that "Old Mose" had been sighted, ranch wives kept their small children indoors, and men were seen to inspect their rifles with special care. All of them knew they were dealing with the biggest grizzly bear ever known in those mountains. They also knew this bear had tasted human flesh.Under the best conditions men and grizzly bears have never been very good neighbors. This...

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Unbelievable Fish by G. Laycock

ON DECEMBER DAY in 1938 the captain and crew of a fishing trawler were had at work off the southern coast of Africa. Day after day, this business was the same. Set out the nets. Pull in the nets. Sort the fist.Haul them back to town on the mainland, shell them, then get ready to go out again. During his years of commercial fishing the captain had brought up into the African sunlight every species of fish he could think of. There had been little fish, big fish, dull-colored creatures, and others to rival the rainbow. The captain believed,in fact,...

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The Mystery of Loch Ness by G. Laycock

THERE LIVES, a gigantic monster, in a beautiful lake in the Highlands of Scotland. It has come to the surface just often enough to puzzle and frighten people of the region and keep them speculating about this identity of their monster. By now more than one thousand people claim to have seen the mysterious serpent believed to dwell in the depths of Loch Ness.Loch Ness is a beautiful place for a monster to live. The lake,long, narrow, and deep, is flanked by high green hills where dew and fog and frequent rains keep the blankets of lush vegetation...

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