So the king thought long and hard about some means of getting perseus out of the way, for he knew that, if the boy were gone, the king could easily do what he liked with the mother. of the three, the most terrible was medusa and the task that the king had thought of giving perseus was nothing less than cutting off medusa's head, snakes and all. since merely looking at medusa would turn perseus to stone, and he could not very well cut off her head without looking at her, the king was pretty safe in thinking that this was an adventure from which perseus would never return. so he sent for the young man, and when perseus stood before him, the king began to praise his boldness and courage, which, he said, had been the talk of the island. perseus, of course, was flattered by these words of praise and replied, "in-deed, o king, i think there is no task from which i would shrink in fear." the king was delighted to hear this, and he said, "if i thought that my boy, i would let you undertake a task that i am saving for the bravest man in my kingdom." now, after poor perseus left the palace, he began to think over his promise, and somehow the plan did not seem nearly so pleasant nor so easy as it had when he was talking with the king. now perseus was full of rage, and he hastened to the palace at once to demand his mother's freedom. perseus knew that he owed his success to the that mercury and the other gods had given him, and he never forgot the debt he owed them. in order to prove that he had killed the terrible medusa, perseus was required to bring back the head of the mon-ster, for that was its most vital part.