Medusa: A New Ending

Medusa: A New Ending

Long ago in Ancient Greece, Medusa was a beautiful woman who worked in Athena’s temple. One day, the sea god Poseidon entered the temple and hurt her. Athena was angry, but she punished Medusa, not Poseidon. ‘This isn’t fair!’ Medusa cried. Her hair turned into snakes, and anyone who looked into her eyes turned into stone.

Medusa went to live on a lonely island. She wasn’t a monster, but people were afraid of her. A cruel king wanted Perseus to bring him Medusa’s head. ‘Don’t look into her eyes!’ said Athena. ‘Use your shield like a mirror.’ In the original myth, Perseus cut off her head, and Medusa died alone.

But in my ending, everything was different. Perseus arrived on the island. He was very nervous. ‘Wait! Don’t come closer. I don’t want to hurt you, OK?’ said Medusa. ‘You’re not going to attack me, are you?’ asked Perseus. ‘No, I’m not. I’m too tired of being alone.’ Medusa asked him to sit down and listen to her true story.

Perseus decided not to cut off her head. ‘If you want it, go and get it yourself!’ he told the king. Then he asked Athena to listen. ‘I was too angry, and I wasn’t fair,’ she said. Athena removed the power of Medusa’s eyes. Medusa kept her snake hair, because it wasn’t a curse anymore. Now, if you visit the island, you will find a kind woman, not a monster.

Moral: Don’t judge people before you know their story. Medusa wasn’t as dangerous as people believed. When we listen to others, we can solve problems without fighting. This is still true today.