Thursday 20 September 2012

Elm Sharing Assembly: Return to Gorgon Island

Medusa - Return To The Gorgons Lair

Following the heroic achievement of Perseus, the children picked up the story many years later. The village was enjoying the annual feast held to commemorate the story of their long since departed King & Queen: the feast of Perseus and Andromeda

Throughout the meal, tales were told and songs were sung, celebrating the achievements of their heroes.

Without warning the party was terrorised by screaming Harpies: with wings instead of arms, with beaks instead of mouths and claws instead of feet.

Swooping mercilessly from the darkened skies, the evil creatures took the crops from the field, the animals from the barns and the cakes from the cupboards!

Desperate, the villagers attacked the flying monsters. Would swords be enough? No, their claws snatched them from their grasp. Would bows and arrows send them crashing to the ground? No... the feathers were too tough. The arrows just bounced off.

Suddenly the townsfolk remembered the legend of Perseus and how he killed Medusa.

Bravely they vow to return to the lair of the Gorgons. With the heads of the two remaining sisters they would be able to kill the hideous birds.

After a difficult voyage their tired wooden boat docked on the Gorgon's island. Splitting up the teams made their way to the cave: some crossed the mountain, some cross the desert while the rest crossed the thick tropical forest.

Finally the friends find the cave. A terrifying scream echoes from its dark depths. The stench of rotting flesh flooded their nostril. Snakes hissed, stones dug into their flesh and blood dripped from the stone ceiling.

At the end of the cave were the Gorgons. Loud snores rumbled... it was safe to approach. Scared by the frozen victims of the Gorgons glare the heroes approached nervously. When would they wake?

Although the Gorgon sisters were deep in slumber the snakes in their hair were not. With the help of a lullaby all the snakes close their eyes

... now they could strike.

Quickly they covered the demons eyes with dark lenses. Next they were bound with thick ropes.

Captured and powerless the sisters had no choice but to board the ships and head back to the village.

However, in the time they had been away, the village was stripped bare. How would they lure the Harpies back if there was no food?

During the voyage to Gorgon Island one of the ships had caught a shark. Chopped up into chunks it made the perfect bait. Unable to resist the smell of fresh meat the Harpies returned. Quick as a flash, the villagers whipped off the coverings on the Gorgons eyes and took cover.

As soon as the wicked birds turned their evil gaze upon the two remaining sisters, they turned to stone. Plummeting to the ground their petrified forms shattered into a thousand pieces... KABOOM!

The villagers were free.

Suddenly there was a flash of light and a strange sound.., Athena had arrived. Heartened by the Gorgons willingness to help the townsfolk, she agreed to lift their curse. Bathed in a glow of golden light, the sisters transformed back into beautiful maidens to live happily ever after amongst the village.







No comments:

Post a Comment