Pictures for Storynory by Nick Hayes, click to enlarge.
Our story is taken up by Princess Medea. Jason and the Argonauts have arrived in her father's kingdom of Colchis. They have come to take the fabulous Golden Fleece back to Greece - something her father is not happy about. Medea is in love with Jason and decides to help him with her magic.
Read by Natasha Gostwick.
Pictures by Nick Hayes.
Music by Gabriella Burnel.
Words by Bertie.
Jason and Medea, The Story of the Golden Fleece, told in verse in four parts, by Storynory.
Part Three : Princess Medea.
It is a youthful traveller
Only just a man
So pretty, so witty, it is a pity
I can't quite understand,
What this feeling inside me is
My pulse begins to race.
I'm so aware that I do not dare
To look straight into his face.
And he was barely more than a boy
But oh boy what a boy.
His dark eyes, lit by lies,
And a look that was coy.
Oh, I quite forgot: me
My name is Medea.
A student in the art, of wild witchcraft
My name men should fear.
I’m rich, I'm smart, I'm full of art,
And this is what I say.
I might be seventeen, but I know what I mean
I will have my way.
My father's name is Aeetes
He's king around these parts.
This land of Colchis is kissed by the gods
Wine, women, arts.
A fog from the gods wrapped our city.
And Jason just appeared.
A noble man, from a long-lived clan,
Though the way he appeared was weird.
And Heaven must have helped him then,
My guess: a goddess.
It might have been Aphrodite I think
She is never modest.
This young upstart Greek, had come to seek,
My father's Golden Fleece.
He had a cheek, that Greek, to come and seek
The fleece of gold for Greece.
Then my dad, though his rule is to be cruel
Invited Jason in.
And a banquet put on, for the guest who had come
to take from him.
Jason spoke with a low manly voice,
Perhaps he was putting it on.
No war with Georgia, No war with no one,
War was not why he had come.
Perhaps some service he could perform
Could the king suggest a quest?
And the price that was nice was the fleece for Greece
The Argo would bring it back West.
And turning to me, father spoke softly,
"This is men's table talk.
Medea, my dear, your grow bored, I fear
I suggest you take a walk."
And so I suppose, I stretched and rose,
And slipped out silkily.
For I could hear, from a place that was near
Up on the minstrel balcony.
And my father drank wine and spoke his mind,
"I suppose you've heard of Troy
Warriors from Greece, don't come East in peace
I have reason to fear you my boy."
And Jason looked hurt, like a friendship had burst
And he seemed like a little boy
“Don't speak to me, of that cruel history,
No need to talk of Troy.”
And my father softened, or so it seemed.
I knew his hard heart by now:
“My boy you have shoulders that could easily move boulders,
Like an ox that pulls a plough.”
“This is the task that I ask, not hard.
I have a field outside the city.
Take these dragon’s teeth, and sow them beneath,
The earth that’s dark and gritty.”
And my young pretty sap, did not run into this trap
He pondered and he thought:
“Why would he ask a task not hard
For a fleece that could not be bought? “
The craft he couldn’t see, and at last he agreed,
Little did he know,
That a dead army of men, would grow up again
As soon as be began to sow.
And those skeleton men, would fight again
See the dead cannot be killed !
For the god of war, long, long before,
This terrible curse had willed.
And a fearful fact that he did not know
Those fields were full of toil.
No harmless oxen plod Ares’ farm
But bulls must plough the soil.
And then my boy hero stood up to go,
Perfect to my eyes.
The shoulders of a man, the grace of a girl
He was doomed by my father’s lies.
And when he was well away from the men,
My father laughed and said:
The bulls will destroy that precocious boy.
And as soon as he is safely dead.
We shall shove a great rock from a high hill top,
And smash his ship to bits.
And never more, shall pirates plague our shore,
Where the game is double or quits.
Need I say, that in tears and dismay
I tore my hair and my cheeks?
My fingers were red where my face had bled
I was hot, I was cold, I was weak.
For in my heart, I knew, my father was cruel,
He never went back on a threat.
Still worse, he knew no mercy,
Not once had he relented yet.
That night I dreamed of frightful scenes,
It was I that yoked the bull.
It was I that sowed the teeth beneath
The earth so fearful.
When the impossible feat was neatly completed
I turned to my father and said:
“Now give the fleece of gold to Greece,
And Jason the boy I’ll wed.”
By daughter betrayed, father raged
And father flew at me.
There’s nothing so bad, that brings out the mad
As to break with family.
Then I woke in a sweat, the sheets were wet,
And my temperature as high as a kite.
I crept out of bed into the cool corridor.
And there I caught a fright.
For standing in front of me, was him you see,
Yes, the boy, Jason.
I refused his embrace, I stung his face,
And back into my room did hasten.
Then he called to me, knocking softly on my door
In my heart I hoped that he would.
“Medea, my dear, no need for fear,
I give my word to be good.”
I opened up slowly, and there in front of me
He stood. We were like two trees.
That grow side by side, open their arms wide,
And sway together in the breeze.
We did not touch, though the feeling was such
That I will never forget.
Our souls surged, our minds merged,
And still we hadn’t touched yet.
Nothing to say. He pulled himself away,
Like he was leaving home for ever.
Then taking his chance, he gave me a glance,
And I knew we had to be together.
Now not only have I looks, I’m learned in books,
I know my potions and lotions,
There’s no harm I see in pharmacy,
My fingers put magic in motion.
I lit the fire that burned like desire,
And stirred my ingredients in.
There’s power in my powder, and verve in my herbs.
With a flash my fun begins.
Then stealing stealthily down to the sea,
By the path I knew as a child
I found the forbidden boat hidden
In a place that was dark and wild.
It was the Argo alright, a magnificent sight,
As long as it was strong.
And the men slept around on the stony ground,
As I carefully crept on.
My hero now, sat by the prow
My Jason did not sleep
A lotion I gave him, and told him to bathe in it
That lotion would be his safe-keep.
And that was the third part of Jason and Medea told by me, Natasha Gostwick, and written for Storynory by Bertie. I’ll be back soon with the fourth and final part in which we will find out if Jason really does manage to get the Golden fleece for Greece ! And our production of Jason and Medea has fantastic music by Gabriella Burnell and stunning illustrations by Nick Hayes so drop by at Storynory.com for the whole effect.
For now, from me, Natasha Bye Bye.
This part read by Natasha in voice of Medea. Medea is daughter of Aeetes, the cruel king of Colchis, and the owner of the Golden Fleece.
It starts off with the same line as part one “It is a youthful traveller” which is a play on “It is an Ancient Mariner”. Medea talks of her infatuation for Jason, talks of her beauty and her strong will, and reveals that she is a witch. He appeared at their palace out of a mist. Her father invited him to dinner, and he asked for the Golden Fleece offering to perform a quest for it. Her father asked him to sow a field with dragon’s teeth. He did not say that the field must be sewed with bulls, and that they teeth would grow up into a terrible army of skeleton men. Medea dreams that she performed the task herself, and her father was furious with her. She wakes up and goes out into the corridor where she meets Jason. They do not touch but are obviously in love with each other. She follows him down to his ship, and gives him a magic potion to help him form the task.
Good story 🙂
Jenny — April 8, 2012
good
vivan — April 9, 2012
Nice awesome
Mahsa — April 9, 2012
I love it
Anastasia — April 11, 2012
Good story but do not understand some of the words
Angela — April 11, 2012
I listen to it with my dad, and we both love it.
katya — April 15, 2012
love the story 😀
alice — April 15, 2012
Hello
Thank you for your comment. Jason and Medea part three is a Greek myth full of Passion. And in this version Princess Medea is not led into despair but finds a way to claim The Fleece for Greece and bring it back to Colchis.
Thanks for listening
Bye Bye
N *
Natasha — April 15, 2012
this story is so boring i want to sleep
pvgd — April 17, 2012
i luv it
tyrese — March 11, 2015
fantastic
merin — April 17, 2012
this is what i hear…….”BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA!!!!!” BORING!
hannah — April 19, 2012
it was ok,i dont really like it
lexi — April 19, 2012
it isent that good
friend — April 19, 2012
This is kind of boring
Anonymous — April 19, 2012
i hate it
joni:) — April 19, 2012
This is a ok story most of it i dont even get]
Tresten Huddleston — April 19, 2012
never reccomend this story
Anonymous — April 19, 2012
so boring
hot — April 19, 2012
it was ok but kind of boring
michael — April 19, 2012
i dont realy like it
jamison — April 19, 2012
a really boring and stupid story;)
mabel — April 19, 2012
BORING
!!!POKKK — April 19, 2012
hate it
Anonymous — April 19, 2012
wow great work romans put this story in… I LOVE IT!
Kim — April 19, 2012
i realy hated it so much i want to jump off a clif
pvge — April 19, 2012
this is all i hear blah blah blah blah zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
urmama — April 19, 2012
Don’t you think that’s kinda rude love it
Anaya — September 23, 2014
i know right i love it too
whatever — April 19, 2015
youre right blah
tommtommy — March 5, 2015
not bad at all loved it nice except some words did not understand but good anyway. 🙂
brandon — April 19, 2012
this is a good story i really like it,nice job on the picture of the front cover.sometimes i read this stories on school and at home nice job at putting the story on this website.awesome story.
adriel — April 19, 2012
Dear Adrieie Thank you for your nice comment. I really like the pictures that Nick did for us on this story – and I am glad that you noticed them.
Bertie — April 19, 2012
I LOVED IT
NOT(:
!!!POKKK — April 19, 2012
What a lot of comments coming in thick and fast from those of you who don’t like this. I can see why. It doesn’t have enough action and might be hard to understand… but if you liked Part 1 or 2 of the story, then do listen to Part 4 which has lots of action, and give the music a try. |I will think about editing the audio down on this part to make it shorter. Thanks for your honesty – as every ! Bye for now
Bertie — April 19, 2012
Alright everyone ….. I have edited out some of the early verses to make this shorter and more punchy. I hope people like it more now !
Bertie — April 19, 2012
This is a epic story i like it epic epic epic epic epic epic
Benjamin — April 26, 2012
I really loved this story can’t wait for the next one:).
Chloe Beth — April 30, 2012
thank you so much for making this story very interesting
kennedy — May 17, 2012
it seem a bit scery pu do it better
sharne — May 21, 2012
The story is unfolding itself…. and is becoming interesting.
joshua — June 4, 2012
Hello
That is great, Jason and Medea are very absorbing characters and you may find the ending interesting too
Thanks for listening
Bye Bye
N*
Natasha — June 4, 2012
Her Birtie and Natasha, I see this being Greek myths… but by any chance can you do mermaids? i’m not really sure if mermaids are Greek myths but, if you can please reply and do you guys have an instagram page or something where I can see short stories through posts, if so respond back! Thankyou!
Bae — March 16, 2015
good story
cindy — October 8, 2012
I kinda like it but I could stick with it for a while
william — October 10, 2012
I don 🙂 it voting!!!!!
Brody — October 10, 2012
this story is epic and a little weird
🙁 🙂 🙁 🙂 🙁 🙂 🙁 🙂 🙁 🙂 🙁 🙂 🙁 🙂 🙁 🙂 🙂 🙁 🙂
xxl — October 10, 2012
This is AWESOME song\talking 🙂 Ha ha so funny 🙂
Alyssa — October 18, 2012
[…] Year 3 have been learning about Myths and Legends this term.jason-and-medea-part-three-princess-medea […]
Myths:- the story of Jason « Robin Hood Literacy Blog — November 15, 2012
Πραγματικά καλή ιστορία! Μπορείτε να έχετε περισσότερες ελληνική ιστορία;
Ιάσονας χάρηty — December 6, 2012
NOT TO BE MEAN BUT THATS A DIFFERENT LAUNGAUGE
princess elsa frozen fan — March 14, 2015
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…. SOOOOOO BORRRING NO OFFENSE
jinxy — December 31, 2012
I like how it rymes but it is confusing
maddie j — January 29, 2013
this website is on the bom! you should try it out and has books for chids you may or may not like it but it is neat. hope you have a nice day
shaniya — February 16, 2013
i love storynory
jahzaya — February 18, 2013
iLOVE IT
antvenom — February 19, 2013
jinx you have no brains
antvenom — February 19, 2013
medea sounds like medusa
lucas — February 19, 2013
i like it. it cool
manuel — March 19, 2013
Ok
Macayla — April 24, 2013
Awesome
Deshun — April 24, 2013
Cool
Deshun — April 24, 2013
This is a good story it was Gooder than the first and second one.thanks for the story Natasha write a nuther good story like this.
Nakhia booker — April 24, 2013
I LOVED IT
Deshun — April 24, 2013
I love this story
Davionna — April 24, 2013
I love this story it so awesome.
Davionna — April 24, 2013
Good story
Ryan — April 24, 2013
Boring
Macayla — April 24, 2013
A bit boring.
Anonymous — March 16, 2014
This part is so BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!
: ) Happy — March 16, 2014
it is a good story but boring at the same time
Talaisha — September 26, 2014
Boring can’t even type right
Keneci — September 26, 2014
DO THE STORY OF PERSEUS AND MEDUSA AND THE SEA-MONSTER
johnny — October 9, 2014
it’s not that boring.
johnny — October 9, 2014
ITS BORING
MARIO — October 21, 2014
It is ooooooooooookkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!:]
emily — October 24, 2014
a little to long
Anonymous — January 12, 2015
Where is the summary?
Jack — January 21, 2015
dud this is the best book ever
billy bob — March 5, 2015
JASON AND MEDEA ISN’T A BIG HIT BUT I LIKE THEM ANYWAY~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
princess elsa frozen fan — March 14, 2015
I just noticed how old this story is, it’s like, 4 years old Birtie, was it your oldest story? What one I would like to read it and see the difference between grammar then and now, Thankyou!
Bae — March 16, 2015
I loved your book
pickle — March 24, 2015
like i said it has a different sound it was greek but not british it was pretty good:)
rj — April 15, 2015
Soooooooooooooooooooooo Boreingggggggggggggggggg
Jeff The Killer — April 16, 2015
this was awesome
teegan — April 23, 2015
great story
Anonymous — May 27, 2015
a good story.
james — September 16, 2015
no offense, Natasha, but the story seems more like a myth when Richard reads the Jason and Medea stories
Rogue_Shadow^^ — November 6, 2015
It’s ok.
Ok — December 8, 2015
bleh not good boring
Ashlee — May 14, 2016
Its really nice..
Anonymous — June 22, 2016
sadd
err — November 15, 2016
Is it a Poem?? I LOVE IT
Talia — December 24, 2016
im sorry but this story is to long
makayla — January 30, 2017
Great story ! I give it 8 out of 10. -1 for the poetry (gets slightly annoying towards the end) and -2 because i found it hard to find the link to the next one on the site! I want to hear more ! All in all very good .
sam — March 24, 2017
Awesome ! Not boring at all !
sam — March 24, 2017
it was ok
isabella walker — March 27, 2017
I loved the story
Ava .C. — March 27, 2017
like
Matthew — March 30, 2017
i love this story
kennica bradley — April 7, 2017
LOVE IT!!!!
Spongebob — May 24, 2017
I don’t like the fact that people are mean in the comments section it should be a positive place to share what you liked about the story I personally love it 😍😀😋 think positive.
Amelie — September 14, 2017
Thankyou Amelie, quite right 😊
Jana Elizabeth — September 14, 2017
I liked it it is a super nice story the storyteller,loved the accent.
Niy — September 29, 2017
I like this story!
Sophia — November 8, 2017
It’s lame how you put the poems away from each other.
ken — April 4, 2018
I like this book it is awsome 🙂
Hiiiiiiiiiii — April 11, 2018
it is not reallY A STORY BECAUSE IT IS STATIONRD AS MORE OF A POEM THANKYOU BYE
RUQAIYA — April 22, 2018
NOOOOOO so TRASH
Johnny — March 24, 2020
really long but great
dazy — October 27, 2020
Jason Grace said ”
Really good story! Can you have more Greek history?” I used translate on the computer to figure it out.
angela — January 7, 2021