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Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in

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the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please

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visit LibriVox dot org. This reading by Kara Shallenberg. The

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Odyssey by Homer, translated by Samuel Butler, Book twenty. Ulysses

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slept in the cloister upon an undressed bullock's hide, on

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the top of which he threw several skins of the

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sheep the suitors had eaten, and Urinumee threw a cloak

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over him. After he had laid himself down there. Then

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Ulysses lay wakefully brooding upon the way in which he

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should kill the suitors. And by and by the women,

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who had been in the habit of misconducting themselves with them,

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left the house, giggling and laughing with one another. This

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made Ulysses very angry, and he doubted whether to get

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up and kill every single one of them then and there,

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or to let them sleep one way more and last

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time with the suitors. His heart growled within him. And

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as a bitch with puppies growls and shows her teeth

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when she sees a stranger, so did his heart growl

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with anger at the evil deeds that were being done.

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But he beat his breast and said, heart, be still,

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you had worse than this to bear on the day

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when the terrible cyclops ate your brave companions. Yet you

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bore it in silence till your cunning got you safe

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out of the cave, though you made sure of being killed.

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Thus he chided with his heart and checked it into endurance.

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But he tossed about as one who turns a paunch

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full of blood and fat in front of a hot fire,

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doing it first on one side and then on the other,

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that he may get it cooked as soon as possible.

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Even so did he turn himself about from side to side,

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thinking all the time how single handed as he was,

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he should contrive to kill so large a body of

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men as the wicked suitors. But by and by Minerva

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came down from heaven in the likeness of a woman,

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and hovered over his head, saying, my poor, unhappy man,

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why do you lie awake in this way? This is

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your house. Your wife is safe inside it, and so

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is your son, who is just such a young man

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as any father may be proud of. Goddess, answered Ulysses,

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all that you have said is true. But I am

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in some doubt as to how I shall be able

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to kill these wicked suitors single handed, seeing what a

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number of them there always are. And there is this

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further difficulty which is still more considerable. Supposing that, with

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Joves and your assistance, I succeed in killing them, I

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must ask you to consider where I am to escape

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to from their avengers when it is all over. For shame,

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replied Minerva. Why any one else would trust a worse

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ally than myself, even though that ally were only a

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mortal and less wise than I am? Am I not

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a goddess, and have I not protected you throughout in

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all your troubles? I tell you plainly that even though

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there were fifty bands of men surrounding us and eager

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to kill us, you should take all their sheep and

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cattle and drive them away with you. But go to sleep.

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It is a very bad thing to lie awake all night,

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and you shall be out of your troubles. Before long

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as she spoke, she shed sleep over his eyes, and

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then went back to Olympus. While Ulysses was thus yielding

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himself to a very deep slumber that eased the burden

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of his sorrows, His admirable wife awoke and, sitting up

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in her bed, began to cry. When she had relieved

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herself by weeping, she prayed to Diana, saying, Great Goddess Diana,

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daughter of Jove, drive an arrow into my heart and

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slay me. Or let some whirlwind snatch me up and

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bear me through paths of darkness till it dropped me

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into the mouths of overflowing oceanus as it did the

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daughters of Pandareus. The daughters of Pandaraus lost their father

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and mother, for the gods killed them, so they were

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left orphans. But Venus took care of them and fed

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them on cheese, honey, and sweet wine. Juno taught them

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to excel all women in beauty of form and understanding.

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Diana gave them an imposing presence, and Minerva endowed them

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with every kind of accomplishment. But one day, when Venus

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had gone up to Olympus to see Jove about getting

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them married, for well does he know both what shall

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happen and what not? Happened to everyone, the storm winds

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came and spirited them away to become handmaids to the

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dread Erineas even so I wish that the gods who

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live in heaven would hide me from mortal sight, or

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that fair Diana might strike me, For I would fain

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go even beneath the sad earth, if I might do so,

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still looking towards Ulysses only, and without having to yield

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myself to a worse man than he was. Besides, no

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matter how much people may grieve by day, they can

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put up with it so long as they can sleep

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at night. For when the eyes are closed in slumber,

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people forget good and ill alike. Whereas my misery haunts

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me even in my dreams. This very night, methought, there

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was one lying by my side who was like Ulysses

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as he was when he went away with his host.

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And I rejoiced, for I believed that it was no dream,

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but the very truth itself. On this day broke. But

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Ulysses heard the sound of her weeping, and it puzzled him,

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for it seemed as though she already knew him and

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was by his side. Then he gathered up the cloak

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and the fleeces on which he had lain, and set

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them on a seat in the cloister. But he took

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the bullocks hide out into the open. He lifted up

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his hands to heaven and prayed, saying, Father Jove, since

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you have seen fit to bring me over land and

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sea to my own home, after all the affliction you

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have laid upon me, give me a sign out of

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the mouth of some one or other of those who

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are now waking within the house, and let me have

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another sign of some kind from outside. Thus did he pray.

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Jove heard his prayer, and forthwith thundered high up among

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the clouds, from the splendor of Olympus and Ulysses. Was

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glad when he heard it. At the same time, within

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the house, a miller woman from hard By in the

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mill room lifted up her voice and gave him another sign.

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There were twelve miller women whose business it was to

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grind wheat and barley, which are the staff of life.

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The others had ground their task and had gone to

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take their rest. But this one had not yet finished,

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for she was not so strong as they were, and

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when she heard the thunder, she stopped grinding and gave

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the sign to her master. Father Jove said, she, you

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who rule over heaven and earth, you have thundered from

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a clear sky without so much as a cloud in it,

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and this means something for somebody. Grant the prayer then

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of me, your poor servant, who calls upon you, And

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let this be the very last day that the suitors

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dine in the house of Ulysses. They have worn me

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out with the labor of grinding meal for them, and

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I hope they may never have another dinner anywhere at all.

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Ulysses was glad when he heard the omens conveyed to

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him by the woman's speech and by the thunder, for

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he knew they meant that he should avenge himself on

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the suitors. Then the other maids in the house rose

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and lit the fire on the hearth. Telemachus also rose

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and put on his clothes. He girded his sword about

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his shoulder, bound his sandals on his comely feet, and

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took a doughty spear with a point of sharpened bronze.

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Then he went to the threshold of the cloister and

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said to euryclea nurse, did you make the stranger comfortable

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both as regards bed and board, or did you let

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him shift for himself? For my mother, good woman, though

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she is, has a way of paying great attention to

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second rate people, and of neglecting others who are in

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reality much better. Men do not find fault, child, said Euryclea,

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when there is no one to find fault with the

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strangers sat and drank his wine as long as he liked.

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Your mother did ask him if he would take any

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more bread, and he said he would not. When he

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wanted to go to bed, she told the servants to

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make one for him, but he said he was such

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a wretched outcast that he would not sleep on a

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bed and under blankets. He insisted on having an undressed

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bullock's hide and some sheepskins put for him in the cloister,

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And I threw a cloak over him myself. Then Telemachus

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went out of the court to the place where the

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Achaeans were meeting in assembly. He had his spear in

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his hand, and he was not alone, for his two

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dogs went with him. But Euryclea called the maids and said,

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come wake up. Set about sweeping the cloisters and sprinkling

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them with water to lay the dust. Put the cover

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on the seats, Wipe down the tables, some of you

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with a wet sponge, clean out the mixing jugs and

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the cups, and go for water from the fountain at once.

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The suitors will be here directly. They will be here early,

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for it is a feast day. Thus did she speak,

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and they did even as she had said. Twenty of

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them went to the fountain for water, and the others

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set themselves busily to work about the house. The men

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who were in attendance on the suitors also came up

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and began chopping firewood. By and by, the women returned

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from the fountain, and the swineherd came after them with

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the three best pigs he could pick out. These he

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let feed about the premises. And then he said, good

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humoredly to Ulysses, stranger, are the suitors treating you any

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better now? Or are they as insolent as ever? May heaven?

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Answered Ulysses, requite to them the wickedness with which they

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deal high handedly in another man's house without any sense

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of shame. Thus did they converse. Meanwhile, Melanthius the goatherd

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came up, for he too was bringing in his best

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goats for the suitor's dinner, and he had two shepherds

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with him. They tied the goats up under the gatehouse,

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and then Melanthius began gibing at Ulysses. Are you still here, stranger?

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Said he, to pester people by begging about the house.

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Why can you not go elsewhere? You and I shall

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not come to an understanding before we have given each

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other a taste of our fists. You beg without any

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sense of decency? Are there not feasts elsewhere among the

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Achaeans as well as here? Ulysses made no answer, but

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bowed his head and brooded. Then a third man, Filoecius,

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joined them, who was bringing in a baron heifer and

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some goats. These were brought over by the boatmen, who

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are there to take people over when any one comes

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to them. So Filocius made his heifer and his goats

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secure under the gatehouse. And then when up to the swineherd,

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who swineherd said, he is this stranger that is lately

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come here? Is he one of your men? What is

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his family? Where does he come from? Poor fellow? He

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looks as if he had been some great man. But

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the gods give sorrow to whom they will, even to kings,

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if it so pleases them. As he spoke, he went

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up to Ulysses and saluted him with his right hand.

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Good day to you, father stranger, said he. You seem

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to be very poorly off now, but I hope you

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will have better times by and by Father Jove, of

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all gods, you are the most malicious. We are your

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own children, yet you show us no mercy in all

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our misery and afflictions. A sweat came over me when

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I saw this man, and my eyes filled with tears,

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for he reminds me of Ulysses, who I fear is

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going about in just such rags as this man's are,

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if indeed he is still among the living, if he

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is already dead and in the house of Hades, then

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alas for my good master, who made me his stockman

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when I was quite young among the Cephalenians, and now

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his cattle are countless, no one could have done better

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with them than I have, for they have bread like

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ears of corn. Nevertheless, I have to keep bringing them

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in for others to eat, who take no heed to

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his son, though he is in the house and fear

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not the wrath of heaven, but are already eager to

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divide ulysses property among them, because he has been away

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so long. I have often thought only it would not

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be right while his son is living of going off

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with the cattle to some foreign country. Bad as this

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would be, it is still harder to stay here and

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be ill treated about other people's herds. My position is intolerable,

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and I should long since have run away and put

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myself under the protection of some other chief, only that

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I believe my poor master will yet return and send

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all these suitors flying out of the house. Stockman answered, Ulysses,

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you seem to be a very well disposed person, and

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I can see that you are a man of sense.

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Therefore I will tell you, and will confirm my words

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with an oath by Jove, the chief of all gods,

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and by that hearth of Ulysses, to which I am

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now come. Ulysses shall return before you leave this place,

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and if you are so minded, you shall see him

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killing the suitors who are now masters here. If Jove

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were to bring this to pass, replied the stockman, you

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should see how I would do my very utmost to

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help him. And in like manner, Eumaeus prayed that Ulysses

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might return home. Thus did they converse. Meanwhile, the suitors

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were hatching a plot to murder Telemachus, but a bird

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flew near them on their left hand an eagle with

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a dove in its talons. On this, Amphinomus said, my friends,

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this plot of ours to murder Telemachus will not succeed.

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Let us go to dinner instead. The others assented, so

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they went inside and laid their cloaks on the benches

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and seats. They sacrificed the sheep, goats, pigs, and the heifer,

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and when the inward meats were cooked, they served them round.

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They mixed the wine in the mixing bowls, and the

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swineherd gave every man his cup, while Filoecius handed round

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the bread in the bread baskets, and Melanthius poured them

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out their wine. Then they laid their hands upon the

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good things that were before them. Telemachus purposely made Ulysses

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sit in the part of the cloister that was paved

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with stone. He gave him a shabby looking seat at

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a little table to himself, and had his portion of

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the inward meats brought to him with his wine in

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a gold cup. Sit there, said he, and drink your

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wine among the great people. I will put a stop

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to the jibes and blows of the suitors, for this

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is no public house, but belongs to Ulysses and has

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passed from him to me. Therefore, suitors, keep your hands

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and your tongues to yourselves, or or there will be mischief.

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The suitors bit their lips and marveled at the boldness

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of his speech. Then Antinus said, we do not like

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such language, but we will put up with it, for

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Telemachus is threatening us in good earnest. If Jove had

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let us, we should have put a stop to his

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brave talk air. Now, thus spoke Antinus, but Telemachus heeded

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him not. Meanwhile, the heralds were bringing the Holy hecatomb

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through the city, and the Achaeans gathered under the shady

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grove of Apollo. Then they roasted the outer meat, drew

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it off the spits, gave every man his portion, and

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feasted to their hearts content. Those who waited at table

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gave Ulysses exactly the same portion as the others had,

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for Telemachus had told them to do so. But Minerva

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would not let the suitors for one moment drop their insolence,

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for she wanted Ulysses to become still more bitter against them.

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Now there happened to be among them a ribe old fellow,

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whose name was Catesippus, and who came from Sammeh. This man,

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confident in his great wealth, was paying court to the

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wife of Ulysses, and said to the suitors, hear what

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I have to say. The stranger has already had as

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large a portion as any one else. This is well,

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for it is not right nor reasonable to ill treat

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any guest of Telemachus who comes here. I will, however,

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make him a present on my own account, that he

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may have something to give to the bath woman or

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to some other of ulysses servants. As he spoke, he

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picked up a heifer's foot from the meat basket in

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which it lay, and threw it at Ulysses. But Ulysses

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turned his head a little aside and avoided it, smiling

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grimly Sardinian fashion as he did so, and it hit

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the wall, not him. On this Telemachus spoke fiercely to Tiesippus.

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It is a good thing for you, said he, that

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the stranger turned his head so that you missed him.

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If you had hit him, I should have run you

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through with my spear, and your father would have had

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to see about getting you buried rather than married in

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this house. So let me have no more unseemly behavior

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for any of you, for I am grown up now

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to the knowledge of good and evil and understand what

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is going on, instead of being the child that I

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have been heretofore, I have long seen you killing my

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sheep and making free with my corn and wine. I

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have put up with this, for one man is no

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match for many. But do me no further violence. Still,

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if you wish to kill me, kill me. I would

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far rather die than see such disgraceful scenes. Day after day,

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guests insulted, and men dragging the women servants about the

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house in an unseemly way. They all held their peace

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till at last Agilaus, son of Damastor, said, no one

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should take offense at what has just been said, nor

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gainsay it, for it is quite reasonable. Leave off therefore,

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ill treating the stranger or any one else of the

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servant who are about the house. I would say, however,

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a friendly word to Telemachus and his mother, which I

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trust may commend itself to both. As long I would say,

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as you had ground for hoping that Ulysses would one

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day come home, no one could complain of your waiting

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and suffering the suitors to be in your house. It

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would have been better that he should have returned, but

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it is now sufficiently clear that he will never do so. Therefore,

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talk all this quietly over with your mother, and tell

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her to marry the best man and the one who

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makes her the most advantageous offer. Thus you will yourself

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be able to manage your own inheritance and to eat

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and drink in peace, while your mother will look after

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some other man's house, not yours. To this, Telemachus answered,

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by Jove Agilaus, and by the sorrows of my unhappy father,

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who has either perished far from Ithaca or is wandering

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in some distant land. I throw no obstacles in the

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way of my mother's marriage. On the contrary, I urge

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her to choose whomsoever she will, and I will give

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her numberless gifts into the bargain. But I dare not

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insist point blank that she shall leave the house against

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her own wishes. Heaven forbid that I should do this.

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Minerva now made the suitors fall to laughing immoderately, and

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set their wits wandering. But they were laughing with a

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forced laughter. Their meat became smeared with blood, their eyes

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filled with tears, and their hearts were heavy with forebodings.

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Theo Clemenus saw this and said, unhappy men, what is

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it that ails you? There is a shroud of darkness

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drawn over you from head to foot. Your cheeks are

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wet with tears. The air is alive with wailing voices.

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The walls and roof beams drip blood. The gait of

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the cloisters, and the court beyond them are full of

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ghosts trooping down into the night of hell. The sun

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is blotted out of heaven, and a blighting gloom is

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over all the land. Thus did he speak, and they

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all of them laughed heartily. Eurymachus then said, this stranger

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who has lately come here has lost his senses. Servants

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turn him out into the streets, since he finds it

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so dark here. But theo Clemenus said, Eurymachus, you need

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not send any one with me. I have eyes, ears,

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and a pair of feet of my own, to say

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nothing of an understanding mind. I will take these out

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of the house with me, for I see mischief overhanging you,

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from which not one of you men who are insulting

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people and plotting ill deeds in the house of Ulysses

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will be able to escape. He left the house as

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he spoke and went back to Pereeus, who gave him welcome.

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But the suitors kept looking at one another and provoking

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Telemachus by laughing at the strangers. One insolent fellow said

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to him, Telemachus, you are not happy in your guests. First,

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you have this importunate tramp who comes begging bread and wine,

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and has no skill for work or for fighting, but

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is perfectly useless. And now here is another fellow who

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is setting himself up as a prophet. Let me persuade you,

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for it will be much better to put them on

370
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board ship and send them off to the sea cells

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to sell for what they will bring. Telemachus gave him

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no heed, but sat silently watching his father, expecting every

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moment that he would begin his attack upon the suitors. Meanwhile,

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the daughter of Ecarius Wise, Penelope, had had a rich

375
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seat placed for her, facing the court and cloisters, so

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that she could hear what every one was saying. The dinner, indeed,

377
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had been prepared amid much merriment. It had been both

378
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good and abundant, for they had sacrificed many victims, But

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the supper was yet to come. And nothing can be

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conceived more gruesome than the meal which a goddess and

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a brave man were soon to lay before them, For

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they had brought their doom upon themselves. End of Book

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twenty read by Kara Shallenberg www. Dot kay dot org

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on October fourth, two thousand and six, in Oceanside, California,