40 looking like his uncle from the start, but he does not realize that it was actually
him until Medusa revealed herself. Interestingly, Percy remembers something in Greek mythology telling that
Medusa was killed by a demigod named Perseus. “But I couldnt think. Something told me that in the myth Medusa had
been asleep when she was attacked by my namesake, Perseus. She wasnt anywhere near asleep now. If she wanted, she could take those
talons right now and rake open my face.
” Percy :187 Annabeth and Grover realize who Medusa really is when she persists to
ask them to take a photo with her. Percy, however is only figures out that Em in Aunt Em means M for Medusa when it is too late to escape. After a struggle,
Percy defeats Medusa by slaying her neck with his Riptide.
c. Echidna and her Chimera
Echidna is a half serpent and half human. She once lived in a cave where she ate the flesh of men. With Typhon, another monster, Echidna had brood a lot
of frightful children. In one story, the hundred-eyed Argus killed her while she slept. The offspring of Echidna and Typhon were;
“Cerberus the Hound of Hell, Hydra the many headed serpent of Lerna and Chimera a fire breath
ing goat with a lion’s head and a serpent’s body.
” Kathleen :49 The writer doesnt know much about Echidna in this Percy Jackson: The
Lightning Thief , except that she is Chimeras mother. She guises herself as a
human and rides the elevator with the Trio to the top of the Gateway Arch. She isolates Percy from his friends while he is waiting for a second empty elevator
because the first elevator is full. She unleashes her pet Chihuahua that morphs into Chimera on Percy. Percy hardly manages to escape after being poisoned by the
Chimeras snake tail. He chooses to dive into the water below. While in the water, his injury is healed. It is unknown where Echidna has gone after attacking Percy
on the arch.
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d. Procrustes The Stretcher
Procrustes is also called Polypemon. He is the scourge of travelers. He would invite them into his house, where he had an iron bed. If the victim did not
fit the bed, Procrustes would either chop off the victim’s overhanging parts or stretch his limbs to fit the bed Kathleen:139.
Procrustes, in Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief introduces himself as Crusty as the owner of a Los Angeles mattress store. He also called The Stretcher
because of his unfortunate habits to tie travelers to his special bed and stretch them until they are matched to the bed. For his stretching habit, all of the beds are
rigged to snare anyone who lies down on them with ropes and extend them to exactly six feet. If they are over six feet, the excess is removed by Procrustes with
his double bladed brass axe. The Trio face Procrustes while searching for the gate to the underworld.
He seems kind at first sight, although his appearance is frightening. He invites them to hide from some gang members in his store. Crusty tricks both Annabeth
and Grover to try and lay on mattresses, thereby trapping them, but Percy remains free. He tries to convince Crusty to lie down himself. Once the snares have been
triggered on Crusty, Percy releases his friends and cuts Crusty down to size with Riptide, thereby destroying him.
e. Lotus Hotel The Land of The Lotus Eater
