The Myth of Medusa

Hello, my name is Medusa, and I live on a beautiful island where the sun warms the sand and the waves whisper secrets. I want to tell you my story. It is a very old story from a land called Greece, and people have been sharing it for a very, very long time. This is the myth of Medusa. My most special feature is my hair. My hair is not like your hair. My hair is made of friendly, wiggly snakes. They are my best friends. We love to play games in the sun and listen to the ocean sing its sleepy songs all day long.

Medusa was very special and very different. She was so unique that looking right at her was a big surprise. It could make someone stand as still as a statue. One day, a brave and clever boy named Perseus heard about Medusa's island. He wanted to visit her and say hello. But how could he say hello without getting a big surprise? Perseus had a very smart idea. He brought a big, round shield with him. The shield was so shiny it worked just like a mirror. Plink, plonk, it was so shiny. He held it up and looked only at Medusa's reflection. He did not look right at her. He looked in his mirror shield. In the shiny shield, he saw her smiling face and her little snake-hair waving a happy hello.

Perseus's clever idea worked perfectly. He saw that Medusa wasn't scary at all; she was just unique, and her differences were wonderful. Perseus smiled and waved to her reflection in his shiny shield. Then, he sailed back home in his little boat, happy that he had solved the puzzle of how to meet her. This myth teaches us that being smart and kind can help us understand things that seem different. For thousands of years, people have been inspired by this story to draw pictures of Medusa and tell tales about being brave and clever. The myth of Medusa reminds us to see the wonder in everyone and that being different is something special.

Reading Comprehension Questions

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Answer: The story was about a girl named Medusa and a boy named Perseus.

Answer: Friendly, wiggly snakes were on top of her head instead of hair.

Answer: Shiny means something is bright and reflects light, like a mirror or a new spoon.