Book 9 and ½ of The Odyssey
After sailing on for many days and many nights, we finally reached a small desolate island, named Pyrenous, the loneliest place I have ever stepped foot on. Although this place had a very eerie spirit, we still decided that it would be best to explore the island, for we were starving, we had not eaten food for days, other than the stale bread and small amount of wine we had stored away. Since we left the monstrous Cyclopes Island, the mood on our ship had been somber and sorrowful, and I knew that unless I could cheer these men up, with a fine and bountiful feast, this mood would only darken, and problems would arise. We also desperately yearned to return home to Ithaca, and we needed someone to help us find our way back.
So after landing onshore, taking a small group of my men with me, we started on our journey through this desolate land, looking for any sign of life, if there was any to be found. So onward we walked, for miles and miles, not seeing even a clue that there were people on this island. As we walked farther though, we did see signs of human life, but these weren't hopeful signs, they were human skeletons of those who perished on this lonely land. My crew was exhausted, their throats parched, their spirits broken, and they finally decided to give up, with no hope of finding anyone. But I pushed onward, being the selfish fool that I am, I told them that I would wander on for a bit longer, I was so sure I would find someone to help us.
After wandering on for quite a while longer, I finally came upon a small cottage, no bigger than the ship we had landed here on. This cottage fit perfectly with its surrounding environment, it was dreary, evil looking, and what seemed to be abandoned. Not even thinking about the dangers of what could happen to my crew and I, I selfishly entered the cottage. The inside was just as I had expected, barren, dark, and ghostly. There room was empty, except for a large chair sitting in the middle of the cottage. I was not positive, but I thought I could make out a small and slender figure sitting in the chair, so I called out to him,
"Dear man, what do they call you, of what business are you here one this empty island all alone?"
He then answered me, " Who is this that trespasses on my own land and dares to question me, I think it better of me to ask of what business you are here on this island."
"I am the Great Odysseus, destroyer of cities, and I come to you asking for your hospitality, my men and I are on our way home to Ithaca, is there any help that you can lend us to get there? We are tired and hungry, homesick and distraught, and our spirits have been trodden again and again as if we were grapes being crushed to make wine, the life being squeezed out of us over and over, just for the pleasure of those wrathful gods, as if our trampled spirits bring the gods joy, like wine brings a man joy."
After I finished talking, the man slowly got up from his chair, and walked closer to me, such that I could now see his crippled figure, his ugly, old body, he was nearer to death than I have ever seen anyone. After studying my face for a long while he soon replied to me,
" I am Cedion, and this is my land Pyrenous. The bones you passed on your voyage up here are the bones of men quite like yourself, men who dared to enter my island un-welcomed, and beg for my help. You see, right past this cottage, following that small pathway, is a great abundance of wonderful fruits, fat goats and sheep for slaughter, and ruddy wine, which I must guard from trespassers like you, so I can have all of this for myself. Now that you know about this secret, I must kill you."
As the greedy man came closer towards me, I tried to attack him, but I couldn't move, it seemed that the old man had cast a spell on me, so right before he was about to kill me, I cunningly shouted, "But old man, I don't want to take any of your goods, my men and I just wanted you to help us find our way home, but I have an idea. On my ship back at the shore, I have many crew members, who in return for my life, I will give to you so the can guard your precious garden every waking moment, for it seems as though you are old, and it is hard for you to always be watching."
The greedy old man thought for a moment, and finally said "You are a very lucky man this day, for you have made a good deal, and I am getting to old to always be guarding it. So now you will lead me back to your ship, and in return for your life you will give to me all of your crew members. But beware, you must not speak of this island to anyone, and the treasures it beholds, for if you do, it will mean certain death."
And with that, we started down back through the island, towards my ship. After walking for only a few minutes, the old man sat down to rest, for his old body could not take the long walk. Now I decided was the perfect time for the remainder of my plan to be put into action, for the man didn't know of my warrior background, and that his frail old body stood no chance against mine. So while he was sitting down to rest, I picked up the largest rock I could find, and hurled it at the old man as hard as I could. The impact of the rock alone killed him I was sure, so I decided that it was now safe to go back to his garden. Once I found it, I realized that the old man hadn't been lying, this was a paradise of fat herds for slaughter, and heady wine, so taking as much food as I could, I then started my journey back to the ship.
Once I reached the ship, I was greeted by my fellow crew members, who were very happy to see me alive, and also very happy that I had brought them so much good food. That night we feasted and drank until we were unable to eat anything more, and the next day we left that island, but this time in better and more hopeful spirits than we felt in a very long while.
After sailing on for many days and many nights, we finally reached a small desolate island, named Pyrenous, the loneliest place I have ever stepped foot on. Although this place had a very eerie spirit, we still decided that it would be best to explore the island, for we were starving, we had not eaten food for days, other than the stale bread and small amount of wine we had stored away. Since we left the monstrous Cyclopes Island, the mood on our ship had been somber and sorrowful, and I knew that unless I could cheer these men up, with a fine and bountiful feast, this mood would only darken, and problems would arise. We also desperately yearned to return home to Ithaca, and we needed someone to help us find our way back.
So after landing onshore, taking a small group of my men with me, we started on our journey through this desolate land, looking for any sign of life, if there was any to be found. So onward we walked, for miles and miles, not seeing even a clue that there were people on this island. As we walked farther though, we did see signs of human life, but these weren't hopeful signs, they were human skeletons of those who perished on this lonely land. My crew was exhausted, their throats parched, their spirits broken, and they finally decided to give up, with no hope of finding anyone. But I pushed onward, being the selfish fool that I am, I told them that I would wander on for a bit longer, I was so sure I would find someone to help us.
After wandering on for quite a while longer, I finally came upon a small cottage, no bigger than the ship we had landed here on. This cottage fit perfectly with its surrounding environment, it was dreary, evil looking, and what seemed to be abandoned. Not even thinking about the dangers of what could happen to my crew and I, I selfishly entered the cottage. The inside was just as I had expected, barren, dark, and ghostly. There room was empty, except for a large chair sitting in the middle of the cottage. I was not positive, but I thought I could make out a small and slender figure sitting in the chair, so I called out to him,
"Dear man, what do they call you, of what business are you here one this empty island all alone?"
He then answered me, " Who is this that trespasses on my own land and dares to question me, I think it better of me to ask of what business you are here on this island."
"I am the Great Odysseus, destroyer of cities, and I come to you asking for your hospitality, my men and I are on our way home to Ithaca, is there any help that you can lend us to get there? We are tired and hungry, homesick and distraught, and our spirits have been trodden again and again as if we were grapes being crushed to make wine, the life being squeezed out of us over and over, just for the pleasure of those wrathful gods, as if our trampled spirits bring the gods joy, like wine brings a man joy."
After I finished talking, the man slowly got up from his chair, and walked closer to me, such that I could now see his crippled figure, his ugly, old body, he was nearer to death than I have ever seen anyone. After studying my face for a long while he soon replied to me,
" I am Cedion, and this is my land Pyrenous. The bones you passed on your voyage up here are the bones of men quite like yourself, men who dared to enter my island un-welcomed, and beg for my help. You see, right past this cottage, following that small pathway, is a great abundance of wonderful fruits, fat goats and sheep for slaughter, and ruddy wine, which I must guard from trespassers like you, so I can have all of this for myself. Now that you know about this secret, I must kill you."
As the greedy man came closer towards me, I tried to attack him, but I couldn't move, it seemed that the old man had cast a spell on me, so right before he was about to kill me, I cunningly shouted, "But old man, I don't want to take any of your goods, my men and I just wanted you to help us find our way home, but I have an idea. On my ship back at the shore, I have many crew members, who in return for my life, I will give to you so the can guard your precious garden every waking moment, for it seems as though you are old, and it is hard for you to always be watching."
The greedy old man thought for a moment, and finally said "You are a very lucky man this day, for you have made a good deal, and I am getting to old to always be guarding it. So now you will lead me back to your ship, and in return for your life you will give to me all of your crew members. But beware, you must not speak of this island to anyone, and the treasures it beholds, for if you do, it will mean certain death."
And with that, we started down back through the island, towards my ship. After walking for only a few minutes, the old man sat down to rest, for his old body could not take the long walk. Now I decided was the perfect time for the remainder of my plan to be put into action, for the man didn't know of my warrior background, and that his frail old body stood no chance against mine. So while he was sitting down to rest, I picked up the largest rock I could find, and hurled it at the old man as hard as I could. The impact of the rock alone killed him I was sure, so I decided that it was now safe to go back to his garden. Once I found it, I realized that the old man hadn't been lying, this was a paradise of fat herds for slaughter, and heady wine, so taking as much food as I could, I then started my journey back to the ship.
Once I reached the ship, I was greeted by my fellow crew members, who were very happy to see me alive, and also very happy that I had brought them so much good food. That night we feasted and drank until we were unable to eat anything more, and the next day we left that island, but this time in better and more hopeful spirits than we felt in a very long while.