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 he descried the Three Gray Women. The light being so faint, he could not well make out what sort of figures they were; only he discovered that they had long gray hair; and, as they came nearer, he saw that two of them had but the empty socket of an eye in the middle of their foreheads. But, in the middle of the third sister’s forehead, there was a very large, bright, and piercing eye, which sparkled like a great diamond in a ring; and so penetrating did it seem to be, that Perseus could not help thinking it must possess the gift of seeing in the darkest midnight just as perfectly as at noonday. The sight of three persons’ eyes was melted and collected into that single one.

Thus the three old dames got along about as comfortably, upon the whole, as if they could all see at once. She who chanced to have the eye in her forehead led the other two by the hands, peeping sharply about her all the while; insomuch that Perseus dreaded lest she should see right through the thick clump of bushes behind which he and Quicksilver had hidden themselves. My stars! it was positively terrible to be within reach of so very sharp an eye!

But, before they reached the clump of bushes, one of the Three Gray Women spoke.

‘Sister! Sister Scarecrow!’ cried she, ‘you have had the eye long enough. It is my turn now!’

‘Let me keep it a moment longer, Sister Nightmare,’ answered Scarecrow. ‘I thought I had a glimpse of something behind that thick bush.’

‘Well, and what of that?’ retorted Nightmare peevishly. ‘Can’t I see into a thick bush as easily as yourself? The eye is mine as well as yours; and I know