The late afternoon sun was shining brightly as Glaucus (glah' kus) pulled his nets in from the sea. It had been a good day. The nets were filled to overflowing with wriggling fish. Glaucus emptied the nets onto the grass. Then he settled back to rest. The sea was shimmering in the sunlight. All was quiet. The fish, out of water too long now, had stopped moving. Glaucus sighed happily. He loved the sea, and he loved being a fisherman.

A few minutes later, Glaucus was startled by noises coming from the grass. He looked over at the fish. What he saw made him jump with surprise. The fish had come back to life! They were leaping about on the grass. Glaucus stared in astonishment as, one by one, the fish jumped back into the sea.

"What magic is at work here?" Glaucus asked aloud. "Could the grass itself be enchanted?"

Glaucus pulled a handful of grass from the earth. He tasted it with the tip of his tongue. Suddenly, without knowing why, he began to follow the fish to the sea. . Ie could not stop himself. Leaping like a crazy man, he threw himself into the waves. As the water covered his head, his body began to change. His hair turned sea green. His legs turned into a great fish tail. He found that he no longer needed to breathe air. He had turned into a sea creature! The many sea gods welcomed him to the underwater world. Glaucus did not mind these changes. He had always loved the sea, now he was a part of it!

Some days later, Glaucus was swimming near shore when he saw a lovely girl. She was standing at the water's edge. Glaucus was immediately charmed by her beauty. He called to her, but she ran away.

"Beautiful maiden, do not be afraid of me," he called after her. "I am a sea god. I mean you no harm!" But Scylla (sil' a), the young girl, would not come back.

As the days passed, Glaucus found he could not forget Scylla. Each hour his love for the mysterious girl grew. Finally he could not live with the pain any longer. He went to see Circe (sir' see), an enchantress. He told her his story.

"Circe, I have heard you have great powers. Surely you can help me. You must have a magic potion that will make Scylla love me!" But Circe herself was falling in love with Glaucus. She became angry at his words. "Glaucus, you are a handsome god now! Why do you waste your time on a mortal who does not want you? Forget foolish Scylla. You deserve better than her!"

In spite of Circe's words, Glaucus knew he would be unhappy without Scylla's love. He would not change his mind. He made Circe promise to give Scylla a magic potion.

"All right, Glaucus," she said. "I will give the girl a potion. Your problem will be solved."

The next day Circe went to the stream where Scylla bathed. She poured a magic poison into the water. Then she hid and waited for the girl. Scylla soon arrived for her bath. But as soon as she stepped into the water, she knew something was wrong. Her screams of pain and horror filled the woods. The beautiful Scylla was changing into a monster! Terrible snakes grew from her body. Growling dogs' heads circled her waist. Scylla tried to brush them away, but they were a part of her flesh. Her feet attached themselves to the rock beneath her. Scylla became a horrifying creature, unable to leave her rock. In time her temper grew as ugly as her appearance. She devoured any man or beast who came near. Scylla became one of the most feared creatures on earth.

Write what these sentences from the story mean.

1. The many sea gods welcomed him to the underwater world.



2. Glaucus was immediately charmed by her beauty.



3. In time her temper grew as ugly as her appearance.



4. At the end of the story, Scylla's temper changes. Why?



5. Why do you think Circe punished Scylla? Why wasn't she angry at Glaucus instead?



6. Circe said, "Glaucus, you are a handsome god now! Why do you waste your time on a mortal who does not want you? Forget foolish Scylla. You deserve better than her!" Explain what Circe means.