The Adventures of Odysseus and The Tales of Troy eBook

He went to the swine-pens and brought out two sucking
pigs; he slaughtered them and cut them small and roasted
the meat. When all was cooked, he brought portions
to Odysseus sprinkled with barley meal, and he brought
him, too, wine in a deep bowl of ivy wood. And
when Odysseus had eaten and drunken, Eumaeus the swineherd
said to him:

’Old man, no wanderer ever comes to this land
but that our lady Penelope sends for him, and gives
him entertainment, hoping that he will have something
to tell her of her lord, Odysseus. They all do
as thou wouldst do if thou earnest to her—­tell
her a tale of having seen or of having heard of her
lord, to win her ear. But as for Odysseus, no
matter what wanderers or vagrants say, he will never
return—­dogs, or wild birds, or the fishes
of the deep have devoured his body ere this. Never
again shall I find so good a lord, nor would I find
one so kind even if I were back in my own land, and
saw the faces of my father and my mother. But
not so much for them do I mourn as for the loss of
my master.’

Said Odysseus, ’Thou sayst that thy master will
never return, but I notice that thou art slow to believe
thine own words. Now I tell thee that Odysseus
will return and in this same year. And as sure
as the old moon wanes and the young moon is born,
he will take vengeance on those whom you have spoken
of—­those who eat his substance and dishonour
his wife and son. I say that, and I swear it
with an oath.’

[Illustration]

‘I do not heed thine oath,’ said Eumaeus
the swineherd. ’I do not listen to vagrant’s
tales about my master since a stranger came here and
cheated us with a story. He told us that he had
seen Odysseus in the land of the Cretans, in the house
of the hero Idomeneus, mending his ships that had
been broken by the storm, and that he would be here
by summer or by harvest time, bringing with him much
wealth.’

As they were speaking the younger swineherds came
back from the woods, bringing the drove of swine into
the courtyard. There was a mighty din whilst
the swine were being put into their pens. Supper
time came on, and Eumaeus and Odysseus and the younger
swineherds sat down to a meal. Eumaeus carved
the swineflesh, giving the best portion to Odysseus
whom he treated as the guest of honour. And Odysseus
said, ’Eumaeus, surely thou art counselled by
Zeus, seeing thou dost give the best of the meat even
to such a one as I.’

And Eumaeus, thinking Odysseus was praising him for
treating a stranger kindly, said, ‘Eat, stranger,
and make merry with such fare as is here.’

The night came on cold with rain. Then Odysseus,
to test the kindliness of the swineherd, said, ’O
that I were young and could endure this bitter night!
O that I were better off! Then would one of you
swineherds give me a wrap to cover myself from the
wind and rain! But now, verily, I am an outcast
because of my sorry raiment.’

Then Eumaeus sprang up and made a bed for Odysseus
near the fire. Odysseus lay down, and the swineherd
covered him with a mantle he kept for a covering when
great storms should arise. Then, that he might
better guard the swine, Eumaeus, wrapping himself up
in a cloak, and taking with him a sword and javelin,
to drive off wild beasts should they come near, went
to lie nearer to the pens.