Perseus and Andromeda

Once upon a time, there was an African kingdom. It was as far away as Ethiopia and was ruled by King Cepheus and his wife Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia was extremely vain and very boastful. She was always boasting that she was better, wiser and more beautiful than everyone else. One day she insulted the sea nymphs when she told them that she was more beautiful than all of them put together.

But even the nymphs were a bit vain. Because they were offended by what Cassiopeia had said, they complained to Poseidon, the mighty god of the sea. He too was offended - and that was a disaster.

In his anger, Poseidon sent a terrifying sea monster to King Cepheus’s kingdom. The monster swam around the shores of the kingdom and from time to time it came ashore, where it destroyed crops and attacked people. The people of the kingdom grew sorrowful and unhappy. They had nothing to eat and were afraid of the terrible monster.

King Cepheus did not know what to do. He went to seek advice from the oracle, but he was not pleased with what the oracle told him.

"King," said the oracle, "if you want your kingdom to prosper again, give your daughter Andromeda to the monster. When the monster seizes her, it will sail away from your shores and never return."

The king returned home. He was quite upset, and determined to tell no one about the oracle’s prophecy.

"I will never sacrifice my daughter!" he muttered under his beard.

But it so happened that someone, somewhere, had been listening in, and they let out the king's secret. The message reached the people. The king’s subjects began to rebel.

"Listen to the oracle!" the crowds shouted…