The Heart of the Sphinx

Once upon a time in a far far away a land there lived a beautiful maiden named Medusa…the land was one of its kind which was covered with sand but still it was called the one which flowed with milk and honey. It was the land which was sacred to the Gods and Goddesses who came down and mingled with the humans. After all they were all their own children. Medusa was a strange maiden, the entire village called her crazy woman. She was the one who had devoted her entire life to the study of the scribes of the Goddess of Wisdom, Seshat. She had known that wisdom and knowledge were the only thing which gave her power over others. That was the only things which set her apart from the other simpering females of her age who were more interested in catching the eye of a rich man or a general if lucky. But Medusa did no such thing. Hearing about the knowledge of this maiden, Goddess Seshat herself came down to meet her in disguise. It was a warm summer evening and Medusa was studying one of the old scribes in the light of the lamp in her modest little house of stone. “Is there anyone who can provide me with some refreshments and some company in this lonely evening?” came the voice of a woman from her hearth and Medusa looked up to find what the commotion was about. She saw that an old woman sat there on her hearth and there were so many marks on her skin. No one dared to come close to the woman. But Medusa was not a faint hearted maiden. “Yes Mother…I am going to provide you refreshments and company,” said the maiden. After that they engaged in a long conversation about the scribes that Medusa tended to and Seshat was very impressed by her knowledge but finally Medusa said something which enraged the Goddess. “I am sure that now I know even more than the Goddess of Scribe, the one who invented the writing of scrolls,” she boasted with a smile as she looked at the library in her own house. Seshat could not tolerate this at all. “You, are a mere mortal…and still you boast that you know more than me from whom the fountain of wisdom has erupted!!!” said the Goddess as she came to her original form. Medusa was not given a chance to speak at all. “But you have the heart of a lioness and your words sting like that of a serpent and you have the brain of the most wise human and the power to soar in the clouds like the swiftest eagle. So that will be what you are going to be….from today…till the end of time until someone can melt your stone cold heart which has never beat for another with love. You are cursed to be an immortal beast like no other…fated to guard the gates of this land from the ones who don’t possess the wisdom to enter,” said the Goddess in a cold and loud voice. Medusa looked at the Goddess as the curse took effect and pain shot through her entire body. She was cursed to be the Sphinx for an eternity….waiting for someone to melt her stone cold heart. She is waiting still today…..