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ISBN: 978-618-05-0896-3 (with CD-ROM) ISBN: 978-618-05-0895-6 (without CD-ROM) |
C1812003009-15500 C1812004009-15499 |
Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, and his men started their journey home after the Trojan War.
Odysseus: Let’s sail back to Ithaca, my friends!
Men: Hurray! Yes, let’s go back to Ithaca!
It was going to be a long journey!
But the weather was bad and a storm soon drove them to an island. It was the island of the
Lotus-eaters. The trees were full of delicious-looking fruit. The men were hungry. The people
on the island offered Odysseus’ men some fruit, and some of the men ate it.
Odysseus: : No, don’t eat the fruit! You will forget your home − you will forget everything!
care of the sheep. Do not disappoint me.
But they did not listen...
Some of the men stayed with the Lotus-eaters while Odysseus and the rest of his men
sailed to the island of the Cyclops. The Cyclops were giants with only one eye on their
head. They lived in caves and had a lot of sheep.
Odysseus: Look men, there’s milk and cheese in here. Let’s eat!
But a huge Cyclops soon appeared.
Polyphemus: Hey! I am Polyphemus, and this cave is mine! Who are you and what are
you doing here?
Odysseus: I’m… Nobody
Odysseus didn’t tell him his real name
Polyphemus rolled a big rock to the entrance of the cave so that Odysseus and his men
could not leave. They were very worried. But then Odysseus had an idea. When Polyphemus
went to sleep, Odysseus and his shipmates used a large piece of wood to blind the Cyclops.
Polyphemus started shouting.
Polyphemus: Aah! Help me!
Other Cyclops: What happened? Who hurt you?
Polyphemus: Nobody! Nobody blinded me.
Other Cyclops: Why are you shouting then?
The next morning, Polyphemus opened the entrance to the cave and let his sheep out. While
the sheep were going out, he examined the sheep’s backs because he wanted to make
sure that no one got out of the cave. But Odysseus gave his men some very clever advice.
Odysseus: Listen, my men, I have an idea! Let’s hide under the Cyclops’ sheep. This way
we will manage to escape.
Men: Great idea, Odysseus! It’s better to hide under the sheep than to climb on their
backs. He will never look there!
So, Odysseus and his men got out of Polyphemus’ cave and started running towards their
ships. The rest of the men were waiting for them there. As their ships sailed away from the
Cyclops’ island, Odysseus shouted loudly.
Odysseus: Hey, Polyphemus! Tell everyone that Odysseus blinded you!
Polyphemus: Ah! You are going to regret that, Odysseus!
Polyphemus got very angry; he took a huge rock and threw it towards Odysseus’ ships.
Polyphemus: Take that!
The rock hit one of the ships and sank it; but Odysseus managed to sail away from the
island of the Cyclops together with the rest of the ships and they continued their journey
back home.
However, Polyphemus was still very angry. He wanted to destroy Odysseus, so he fell to his
knees and prayed to his father, Poseidon, the god of the sea.
Polyphemus: Father, please help me!
Poseidon: What is it, my son? Who did this to you?
Polyphemus: It was Odysseus! At first he said his name was Nobody, but it was Odysseus!
Please, don’t let him return to his home, Ithaca.
Poseidon: Don’t worry, my son. Odysseus will pay for what he’s done!
Next, Odysseus and his men sailed to the island of Aeolus, the god of the winds. Aeolus
gave Odysseus a bag with all the winds inside and told him not to open it. Odysseus' men
didn't know what was in the bag. While the ships were approaching Ithaca, Odysseus fell
asleep. The men took the bag and...
Men: Let's see what's in this bag. There must be gold and treasures in here!
Odysseus: No! Don't open it!
The winds came out of the bag and made the ships sail away again.
After sailing for days, Odysseus and his men reached the island of Circe, a witch with special powers. Circe planned to keep them on her island and transform them into animals.
She wanted to make them her slaves, but Odysseus made her change her mind. Before
they sailed away from the island, Circe told Odysseus about his next trip
Circe: You must go to Hades, the land of the dead. There, you will find out more about
your journey home.
Soon Odysseus went to Hades and met the prophet Tiresias.
Odysseus: Prophet Tiresias, what can you tell me about my journey? Will we ever return
home to Ithaca?
Tiresias: Odysseus, the next stop of your journey will be the island of the sun god. You
will see a lot of cows on that island. Don’t touch them, otherwise nobody will
return home except you.
While Odysseus and his men were sailing towards the island of the sun god, they
approached the island of the Sirens. These half-women, half-bird creatures sang a beautiful song and made ships fall on the rocks around their island. Following Circe’s advice,
Odysseus’ men put wax in their ears so that they could not hear the song. Odysseus, however, wanted to hear the Sirens sing. He asked his men to tie him to the mast so that he
wouldn't try to leave. When he listened to the sweet song, he begged his men to set him
free.
Odysseus: : Let me go! Untie me, men! I want to go to the Sirens!
But his men could not hear a thing.
Odysseus and his men then sailed between two horrible sea monsters, Scylla and
Charybdis. The ship sailed close to Scylla, trying to avoid Charybdis, and the monster
attacked them. Odysseus tried to hit her with an oar, but the monster was stronger than
him. Each one of its six heads caught a different man and it then disappeared into its cave.
Men: Odysseus! Please... help us!
But Odysseus couldn’t do anything to save them.
Soon, Odysseus and the rest of his men sailed to the island of the sun god. The weather
was bad and made them stay there for a long time. About a month later, there was no
more food on the ship. One day, Odysseus went to sleep; when he woke up, his men were
eating two of the cows.
Odysseus: What are you doing? These cows belong to the sun god! Tiresias said not to touch them!
Man: We were hungry, Odysseus.
Man: Surely the sun god won’t mind
But the sun god did mind. He asked Zeus to destroy Odysseus’ ship, and Zeus sent a huge
storm. The ship sank, and only Odysseus managed to survive. The waves washed him onto
the island of the beautiful fairy Calypso. Calypso didn’t want to let him go, and he stayed
there for ten years. However, the goddess Athena decided to help Odysseus and talked to
her father Zeus about him
Athena: Father, Odysseus is still far from his home after so many years at sea. I think we should help him.
Zeus: Yes, enough with this punishment. I will send Hermes to the island of Calypso. She
must let him leave.
Soon after, Hermes, the messenger of the gods, visited Calypso with the bad news.
Hermes: Beautiful Calypso! I come from Zeus.
Calypso: What does Zeus want from me this time, Hermes?
Hermes: You must let Odysseus return to his home in Ithaca.
Calypso: Oh, Zeus is mean! I don’t want to follow his order, but I have no other choice. I
will let Odysseus go free.
After sailing on rough sea for days, Odysseus finally went to the island of the Phaecians.
Some girls were washing clothes and playing in a river nearby. He decided to speak to
them and ask for their help. When the girls saw him, they got scared, and they all ran away
except for Nausicaa, the daughter of King Alkinous.
Odysseus: Beautiful girl, don’t be scared! I am only a poor castaway, and I need your help.
Nausicaa: : Stranger, I am the daughter of Alkinous, the king of the island of the Phaecians.
We are very hospitable people and we will help you, but listen to me. Go to the
palace and beg my mother the queen for help.
Odysseus: Thank you, beautiful Nausicaa!
Odysseus put on the clothes Nausicaa gave him and went to the palace of King Alkinous.
When he saw the queen, he fell on his knees. The king and queen welcomed him.
Odysseus: My Queen! I beg you and the king to help me. I want to return to my home, but
I have no ship, food or clothes.
Queen: Stranger, you seem very tired. I am Queen Arete, King Alkinous’ wife. We will
help you go back home, but first come and have dinner with us
Odysseus: : Thank you, My Queen!
Odysseus spent several days in King Alkinous’ palace. During these days nobody asked
him any questions. However, one day Odysseus heard the singer of the palace sing a song
about the Trojan War. Tears came to his eyes and he started crying.
King: Why are you crying, stranger? Who are you? What’s your story?
Odysseus: : I am Odysseus, the King of Ithaca…. I took part in the Trojan War. That’s why I’m
crying. But let me tell you my story from the beginning.
Everyone in the palace listened to Odysseus’ story with amazement.
The next day, Alkinous ordered his people to prepare a ship.
King: Servants, fill this ship with food and everything else Odysseus will need
for his trip.
Odysseus:Thank you, My King. I will never forget your kindness
Queen, Nausicaa: Goodbye, Odysseus!
Odysseus: Goodbye, my friends!
That night, Odysseus left the island of the Phaecians and sailed towards Ithaca.
The next day Odysseus finally arrived in Ithaca and, dressed as a beggar, he went to visit
his servant Eumaeus. Eumaeus was a farmer and lived in a hut in the mountains. He didn’t
recognize his master, but offered him food and a place to stay.
Eumaeus: : So, stranger, what brings you here to Ithaca?
Odysseus: I come from Crete. I was in the Trojan War with the rest of the Greeks, and
after that I sailed around Greece. On one of my trips I heard that your king,
Odysseus, is alive and will return to Ithaca soon.
Eumaeus: Someone lied to you, stranger. Odysseus will never return to Ithaca. He is dead!
The next day, Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, returned to Ithaca from Pylos. He went there to
ask for news about his father. On his way back, his mother's suitors set a trap in order to
kill him, but Telemachus escaped. When he was safe on land again, he went to
Eumaeus’ hut, too.
Eumaeus: Master Telemachus! Welcome back! It’s so good to see you again!
Telemachus: It’s good to see you, too, Eumaeus! Tell me, how is my mother, Penelope?
Did she marry one of her suitors?
Eumaeus: No, Telemachus. She didn’t get married… but she’s very worried about you.
Telemachus: Then go and tell her that I’m back, but don’t tell anyone else. I don’t want to
go to the palace. I will stay here and wait.
Eumaeus: I’m going, Telemachus. But let me introduce you to this stranger. He is from
Crete.
Telemachus: Hello, stranger! Welcome to our island
When Odysseus and Telemachus were alone in the hut, Odysseus took off the poor clothes he was wearing and put on the clothes the Phaecians gave him.
Telemachus: : Stranger, who are you? You don’t look like a beggar now!
Odysseus: No, my son. I’m not a beggar. I am Odysseus, your father. I am back in
Ithaca after twenty years. Let me hug you, my son.
Telemachus: Oh, Father!
The two men hugged with tears in their eyes, and then Odysseus told his story to his son.
Odysseus and Telemachus decided to get rid of the awful men.
Odysseus: Listen, Son. We must get rid of the suitors. They are lazy and mean; they are eating and drinking in our palace and causing problems all the time.
Telemachus: : I’m listening, Father. What’s your plan?
Odysseus: Tomorrow, we must go to the palace; I will wear beggar's clothes again and ask for food from the suitors. They may treat me badly, but you must stay
calm… I don’t want anyone to find out who I am.
Telemachus: OK, Father
Odysseus: When I signal to you, you must take all the weapons from the suitors' room and hide them in the room next door.
Telemachus: : I will do as you ask, Father.
The next day Odysseus arrived at the palace once again, dressed as a beggar. Telemachus
was already at the palace and welcomed Odysseus; but the suitors treated the poor beggar
very badly. They laughed and even threw bones at him. Later that night, Odysseus talked to
Telemachus alone.
Odysseus: Telemachus, it's time; take these weapons and hide them in the next room. But be careful! Don’t let anyone see you.
The next day, while the suitors were eating and drinking in the palace, one of the servants brought them some news.
Servant (Melontho): : Penelope promised to choose a husband when she finishes the cloth she is weaving. But every night, she unweaves it! It is a trick!
Antinous: Enough with your tricks, Penelope! You must decide now! Who will be
your husband?
Penelope: Do you see that bow? It’s Odysseus’ bow. I will marry the man who
can string the bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe-heads.
The competition started immediately. All the suitors tried to bend Odysseus' bow in order to
string it, but no one could. Then the beggar spoke.
Odysseus: Can I try? I want to try to bend the bow.
Antinous: Ha, ha, ha! What a fool! None of us managed to bend it. What makes you
think you will?
Telemachus: : Let him try. Give him the bow.
Odysseus took the bow and managed to string it. He then took aim and shot. As the arrow
went through the twelve axe-heads, the suitors looked at him in surprise.
Then Odysseus took off the beggar’s clothes, and with the help of Telemachus and Eumaeus started fighting against the suitors.
Odysseus: All these years you were living in my palace. You ate my food, you took my things and you wanted to marry my wife. Now, I will take revenge!
A huge fight started.
When all the suitors were dead, Eurycleia, Odysseus' old nurse, ran to Penelope to tell her the good news.
Eurycleia: My Queen, Odysseus is back! He killed all the suitors, and now he wants to see you!
Penelope: What are you saying, old woman? Odysseus is dead.
Eurycleia: No, My Queen, it’s true! Come and see for yourself!
Penelope followed Eurycleia to the main room. There she saw Telemachus, Eumaeus and a stranger.
Telemachus: Mother, this is your husband, Odysseus. Why don’t you welcome him?
Penelope: This beggar? My husband? Well, leave us alone and we will see. There are
some things that only Odysseus and I know.
Odysseus: Yes. We have a lot to talk about
Penelope: I hear you are very strong. Can you please help me move the bed in my bedroom?
Odysseus: That is impossible, My Queen. I built the bed into an olive tree... and no one can
move the tree from the ground!
Penelope: So, it is true! You are Odysseus! Only he could know that…. Oh, my husband!
Welcome home!
The next day Odysseus and Telemachus visited Odysseus’ father, Laertes, to tell him that his son was alive and well. On their way back to the palace, however, they met some of the people of Ithaca. They were relatives of the suitors, and they were very angry.
Suitors' Relatives: There he is! Get him, men!
Odysseus: What is it? What do you want?
Suitors' Relatives: You killed our boys! We want revenge!
But the goddess Athena could not let that happen. Disguised as Mentor, one of the wise
men of the island, she stood by Odysseus' side.
Goddess Athena, disguised as Mentor: Enough of this violence! Odysseus is the king! Make friends and live your life in peace!
The people stopped to think, and in the end, they chose peace. Odysseus ruled Ithaca for
many more years, and his story became one of the greatest stories ever.
