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Summary
Summary
A master storyteller and an award-winning illustrator evoke the golden age of mythical Greece in this spirited retelling ofThe Odyssey.
Author Notes
Rosemary Sutcliff was on born December 14, 1920 in East Clandon in Surrey, England. As a child she had Still's Disease, a form of juvenile arthritis. The effect of this led to many stays in hospital for painful remedial operations. She ended her formal education at fourteen, and went to Bideford Art School. She passed the City and Guilds examination and worked as a painter of miniatures. She felt cramped by the small canvas of miniature painting and turned to writing.
Her first two books, The Chronicles of Robin Hood and The Queen Elizabeth Story, were published in 1950. Her other works included The Eagle of the Ninth, The Silver Branch, Sword Song, and the autobiography Blue Remembered Hills. She won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association for The Lantern Bearers in 1959 and the annual Horn Book Award for Tristan and Iseult in 1971. She won inaugural Phoenix Award in 1985 for The Mark of the Horse Lord and again in 2010 for The Shining Company. In 1975, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to children's literature, and was promoted to be a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1992. She died on July 23, 1992.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8As with Black Ships Before Troy (Delacorte, 1993), Sutcliff's retelling of The Illiad, the story of The Odyssey is presented in an accessible, enjoyable format. A brief prologue sets the scene after the fall of Troy. The chapters, each of which tells of a challenge Odysseus faced, are not episodic, but rather come together as a continuing story. Sutcliff creates an intimate portrait of a man whose greatest desire is to return to his wife and home, despite great temptations. He is portrayed as a conquering hero-god, but with a touch of sadness. The reteller uses storytelling techniques to engage readers and the language and rhythm of a bard to maintain the story's flow. The detailed watercolor illustrations are dreamlike and soft-edged. They set the mood for the essence of particular episodes and display the horrors of battle where appropriate. Reading the first book would clarify Odysseus's entire tale, but is not necessary to the enjoyment of this volume. The pronunciation guide and map are helpful. Readers will enjoy this classic adventure, and they may be inspired to explore Greek mythology further.Cheri Estes, Detroit Country Day School Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
(Intermediate) Illustrated with photographs in color by Matthew Cavanaugh. This bustling photo essay provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse of spring training from a batboy's perspective. Appealing, candid photographs on well-composed spreads show the range of thirteen-year-old Kenny Garibaldi's duties during a busy day in the clubhouse in Scottsdale, Arizona, the training grounds for the San Francisco Giants. He sorts uniforms, delivers fan mail, cleans shoes, and takes out the garbage. The work is strenuous and unremitting, but Kenny has moments that any Little Leaguer would envy. The Giants' star catcher offers him his old knee pads and face mask; he shares a pizza with baseball legend Willy Mays; and he helps a rookie pitcher relax over a game of cards. Kenny is kept just as busy during the game, fetching towels, rosin, and balls, retrieving helmets and bats thrown by the players, and helping to keep up the smooth flow of the game by darting swiftly and unobtrusively on and off the field. The author does not present a romanticized image of the world of baseball: many of the players will be cut from the team at the end of spring training, and tensions can run high. For all his youthful energy and enthusiasm, even Kenny is dragging at the end of a long double-header. But for this batboy, or for any starstruck young reader, this nuts-and-bolts view of spring training provides a valuable lesson. Glossary. n.v. Joan Anderson Cowboys: Roundup on an American Ranch (Picture Book) Illustrated with photographs in color by George Ancona. Detailed text and vivid photographs tell the story of two boys who help their parents and other cowboys with the annual roundup on the Eby family's New Mexico ranch. The cattle, which graze on the seventy-five-acre property, must be gathered together at the ranch where they are cared for and branded, and some are shipped off for sale. Ancona's brilliant full-color photographs capture the excitement and hard work of the process and portray the beauty of the countryside. Anderson's informative text conveys the cowboys' love of and respect for their work. Her tone is matter-of-fact and descriptive: she explains that when calves are branded, it leaves the "smell of burning flesh" in the air. The Eby family are modern-day cowboys, and their portrayal provides a good balance of reality to the fictitious cowboy lore that still permeates American culture. Anderson's intriguing details, combined with Ancona's photographs and the handsome book design, make this an appealing and instructive book that will attract an enthusiastic readership. m.v.k. Joanna Cole Riding Silver Star (Younger) Illustrated with photographs in color by Margaret Miller. Horse lovers will be drawn to this photo essay featuring novice rider Abigail Allen and her horse, Silver Star. Large photographs, one per page, are accompanied by a brief, easy-to-read text that shows Abby tending to the animal as she prepares him for a lesson. In an engaging first-person narrative, Abby grooms Star, attaches the saddle and bridle, and dons her own gear, from hard hat to boots. Some points of good horsemanship are described as Abby proceeds through her lesson in preparation for an upcoming show, after which she cools Star down, cleans out his stall, and feeds him. The narrative also takes readers along on a trail ride, a picnic with other riders, and the horse show where, after a few initial jitters, Abby and Star conduct themselves well enough to win a ribbon. The horse show adds a touch of glamour, but the emphasis is on the warm relationship between horse and rider. Abby's declaration at the conclusion that "the most fun of all is just riding Silver Star" is apparent throughout the book and markedly reinforced by the sunny, carefully composed photographs. n.v. David Hautzig, Author-Photographer Pedal Power: How a Mountain Bike Is Made (Picture Book) Bicycles, so common that we take them for granted, are surprising in both their short history and their complex construction. Early in his handsome photo essay, David Hautzig points out that mountain bikes, developed less than twenty years ago, now make up seventy per cent of all bike sales in the United States. A brief bit of history is followed by a well-organized, lucid discussion of the manufacture and dynamics of major parts of the bicycle. Hautzig wisely avoids larger factory scenes and overly detailed explanations that create confusion in most children's books on this subject. His striking photographs in varied sizes focus on the tasks of individual workers and offer dramatic views of wheels, frames, and mechanical units. The photographic artistry is not quite matched in the overall book construction, however. Captions are informative but sometimes awkwardly interrupt the text; one caption (on the facing of tubes) even seems to contradict an explanation in the text. The diagram of the parts on a fully assembled mountain bike omits some of the parts discussed later, and unaccountably there is no discussion of handlebar design. Though the presentation could have used some fine-tuning, the book is an intelligent introduction to what makes a bicycle work and an appealing companion to Hautzig's earlier A Thousand Miles in Twelve Days: Pro Cyclists on Tour (Lodestar). m.a.b. Donna M. Jackson The Bone Detectives: How Forensic Anthropologists Solve Crimes and Uncover Mysteries of the Dead (Intermediate) Illustrated with photographs in color by Charlie Fellenbaum. Mysteries of the dead are indeed fascinating, as revealed in this introduction to the work of scientists and artists who extract clues from skulls and other human bones to determine identity. Shelves of skulls, their teeth in various stages of disrepair, fill the large cover in a view sure to attract some readers and repel others. The discussion focuses on a skull found in a Missouri Boy Scout camp and follows the stages of study as police and anthropologists work to identify a murder victim, solve the crime, and prosecute the perpetrator. Small photographs are sprinkled liberally through the volume. A particularly interesting sequence follows the work of a forensic sculptor as she re-creates the face of the Missouri woman using only the information gleaned from her bones. The well-organized presentation thoughtfully explains characteristics of human bones and scientific tasks. Animal bones and bones from history are also among the forensic studies described here. The intriguing subject is well served by the informative and readable account. Final pages include descriptions of tasks done by assorted computer specialists, toxicologists, and examiners of documents, hair and fiber, and firearms. A glossary and labeled diagrams of the human skeleton are included. m.a.b. Kathleen Krull Lives of the Artists: Masterpieces, Messes (and What the Neighbors Thought) (Intermediate) Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt. The author and illustrator of Lives of the Musicians and Lives of the Writers (both Harcourt) team up a third time to present twenty of the world's greatest artists. Once again, Krull's brief biographies provide basic facts as well as intriguing details of unusual circumstances or personality traits. The selection of subjects ranges from the famous (Michelangelo Buonarroti) to the infamous (Andy Warhol) to the less well known, including Sofonisba Anguissola, an Italian Renaissance painter who achieved great success in her time in spite of the generally accepted belief that women were "inferior versions of men." Hewitt's cariacature-like illustrations reflect and extend the lively text, which focuses on the subjects' lives. As in previous volumes, only brief notes about the creators' works appear at the end of each chapter, and reproductions are conspicuously lacking in this full-color illustrated volume. Still, the accessible introduction to these fascinating individuals should spur readers' interest in the even more fascinating world of their art. Bibliography, glossary, and index. l.a. Carol Lerner, Author-Illustrator Backyard Birds of Summer (Intermediate) The busy summer season can be a stressful time for birds. Carol Lerner's lovely handbook explains how human assistance can be provided through backyard feeders, birdbaths, and an appropriate choice of plants. The book features readable fact-filled entries with life-size paintings of the male and female of several fairly common migrators that can often be enticed to yards where food and water are available. Lerner points out that most species introduced in her earlier Backyard Birds of Winter (Morrow) will also be present in summer, along with the migratory visitors. The summer birds include grosbeaks, buntings, catbirds, hummingbirds, orioles, and tanagers, along with wrens, swallows, and bluebirds. Appealing and useful for bird watchers of all ages. m.a.b. Sandra Markle Outside and Inside Sharks (Picture Book) Illustrated with photographs in color. Shark skin and sensibilities are among the many physical attributes of this intriguing ocean predator that are examined here in lucid explanations and close-up photographs. Sandra Markle explains how sharks differ from their cousins, the bony fish, in their skeletons, gills, and assorted body parts and senses. Along with the requisite examination of the shark's toothy mouth, there is photographic scrutiny of the inside of the spinal column, ear canals, eye, heart, stomach, and liver. Baby sharks are viewed as they develop in utero and in egg cases, as well as in the process of being born or hatching. As in her previous Outside and Inside animal books, Markle writes with arresting clarity. "When the prey is about as close as two city buses parked end to end, most sharks can see it. Fast-swimming hunters, like the blue shark, usually have better vision than sharks that lie still and ambush prey." The interesting variety of species featured and the cogent examination of the shark's well-equipped body make this a first-rate science lesson. A pronunciation guide, a short set of "amazing shark facts," and a glossary/index are included. m.a.b. Faith Ringgold, Author-Illustrator My Dream of Martin Luther King g (Picture Book) Through a sequence of multilayered dreams, Ringgold presents a personal picture-book biography of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. The book's narrator falls asleep while watching a television program about Dr. King and dreams about his life. Ringgold makes use of the license to distort that a dream allows: she blends known details from Dr. King's life with imagined incidents from his childhood, such as having him present at the Montgomery bus boycott. The author-artist uses subdued, flat tones to illustrate the dream scenes, which include a peaceful march that turns chaotic when police use fire hoses to knock down demonstrators; King's "I have a dream speech"; and his assassination. Ringgold's dream forms the basis of the book's final double-page spread, which lingers in the mind long after the book is closed: people of all ages and diverse backgrounds mourning Dr. King's death by emptying bags containing their "prejudice, hate, ignorance, violence, and fear" in trade "for the slain hero's dream." When the last bag is dumped, the words "Every good thing starts with a dream" appear in the sky. Ringgold evokes intense emotion by concentrating on the faces - especially the eyes - of the people who appear in her dream. In this way readers are drawn into Dr. King's vision of peace and experience horror and sadness at his death. His nonviolent efforts to end segregation come through clearly, and the book's directly stated message becomes more powerful and accessible with repeated readings. The brief chronology that appears at the book's conclusion helps set the facts straight. An inspiring portrait of a person whom many consider one of the twentieth century's greatest peacemakers. ellen fader Seymour Simon Wildfires (Picture Book) Illustrated with photographs in color. Seymour Simon moves beyond the rash of children's books inspired by the 1988 fires in Yellowstone National Park to explain the phenomenon of fire as a cyclical event in nature's scheme. Bold, full-page photographs depict the raging fires at Yellowstone, controlled burning of saw grass in Everglades National Park, and examples of the black-and-green mosaic as new growth is generated after aged plant life burns. Simon explains natural combustion, the effects and benefits of fire for plants and animals, and the larger cycles of fire occurring in different plant regions over long periods of history. Human responsibility and decision-making are viewed in the context of the power of natural fire. Which fires should be fought? Which allowed to burn? Often the balance between human interests and the requirements of nature is precarious. As in his many other beautifully constructed photo essays, Simon provides an illuminating and thought-provoking view of nature. m.a.b. Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve The Cherokees (Picture Book) Illustrated by Ronald Himler. Any book that begins with a wonderfully clear, cleanly drawn map starts off on the right foot as far as I am concerned. From that point, the author continues with a sound treatment of the Cherokee people that will encourage youngsters to read further. In direct, uncomplicated sentences she relates their tragic history, their customs, and their accomplishments. The division of the people into Eastern and Western groups following their removal from Georgia is described, as are the many treaties made and broken by the United States government. The delivery of information is straightforward, with no editorial comment, but the facts alone speak volumes of blame. Nicely executed paintings add detail, clarify the text, and contribute to the reader's understanding of history. A solid entry in the "First Americans" series. Index. e.s.w. H Rosemary Sutcliff The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of The Odyssey (Intermediate) Illustrated by Alan Lee. Poetic without being self-conscious, cadenced without seeming artificial, this prose retelling of Homer's great work retains the epic grandeur of the original yet addresses the comprehension of contemporary listeners. The brief prologue refers to events recounted in the Iliad and sets the scene for Odysseus's many adventures "on the long sea-road back to Ithaca." Though the stories are virtually as old as memory, it is unlikely that they have ever been better narrated for young audiences. Whether he is outwitting the Cyclops, overcoming the enchantments of Circe, or venturing into the Land of the Dead, each episode reveals different facets of Odysseus's character. His ultimate triumph over the false suitors for his wife's hand and his reunion with her are both dignified and romantic. Sutcliff's retelling is restrained in the tradition of Greek art; the drama is inherent in her use of imagery, but she appeals to the mind, not merely to the senses. This same quality underlies Alan Lee's spectacular watercolor illustrations. Motifs from Greek art - particularly the draping of the figures - are incorporated into his personal vision for the Odyssey, which is, after all, a universal experience. A map and brief pronunciation guide are appended to this handsome volume. m.m.b. Kate Waters Tapenum's Day: A Wampanoag Indian Boy in Pilgrim Times g (Picture Book) Illustrated with photographs in color by Russ Kendall. In a companion to Sarah Morton's Day and Samuel Eaton's Day (both Scholastic), the author and photographer tell the story of a Wampanoag boy living near Plimoth Colony in the 1620s. A contemporary Wampanoag boy is photographed to re-create the dress, customs, and environment of the period. The first-person narration brings the reader into the mind of a boy hoping to be chosen for initiation as a pnises, or warrior counselor. Tapenum hunts rabbit and squirrel, fishes with a friend, and spends time with a wise old man in the hope of learning the secrets of being selected to become a warrior. The text is readable, the photographs are handsome, and the material has been meticulously researched for accuracy. More detailed information about the Wampanoag Indians and a glossary are included at the end of the book. m.v.k. Diane Wolkstein Esther's Story (Picture Book) Illustrated by Juan Wijngaard. In a brief, prefatory author's note, Wolkstein states that she has interwoven incidents from the biblical Book of Esther with selections from the oral tradition in her portrayal of the young Jewish girl who risked social status, position, and life itself to save her people from certain death. By designing her narrative as a diary written by Esther, wife of the great Persian king Ahasuerus, Wolkstein offers a plausible interpretation of the conflicting emotions that must have plagued the young woman as she prepared to wager her wit, beauty, and charm against the machinations of the king's favorite minister, the evil Haman, as he anticipated the wholesale slaughter of the Jews and seizure of their property. Beginning with Esther's childhood, the diary records the events leading to her coronation as queen, selected details of palace life and intrigue, and her carefully orchestrated and inspired triumph when she reveals herself as a Jew and persuades the King to find some means for countermanding the deadly orders promulgated by Haman. Following that climactic moment, the tone becomes more reminiscent as an aging Esther talks about the earliest celebrations of Purim - a discussion of which is expanded in an afterword. As a folklorist and storyteller, Wolkstein offers her readers the best of both approaches to the past: she is aware of the constraints of tradition yet knows how a narrative should be shaped. Consequently, she has selected incidents that advance the story and have the necessary dramatic intensity to create excitement. It is this latter element that is so ably matched in Wijngaard's elegant, glowing full-color illustrations. Opulently designed, painstakingly detailed, richly allusive, they suggest Persian art while retaining their own integrity in a handsome tribute to female heroism. m.m.b. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
In this sequel to Black Ships Before Troy (1993), Sutcliff and Lee dig into Homer's Odyssey, with happy results. Among the volume's virtues is Sutcliff's text, which preserves a certain formality of language, yet remains accessible for the target audience. She does an especially graceful job of winnowing the windy Telemachus section down to its essential elements. All the important episodes are retained; further, the telling makes clear some details that are often vague in other versions. The second major virtue comes through Lee's spectacular paintings, which match and illuminate the text. Beautiful and detailed, with occasional gory bits to draw in readers (and an exposed breast, on the sleeping Princess Nausicaa), the pictures are obviously the result of careful research and reward close scrutiny. A gorgeous book, more than worthy of its predecessor. (Folklore. 10+)
Booklist Review
Gr. 5-8. A companion to Black Ships before Troy (1993), this handsome, large-size volume retells Homer's Odyssey with thrilling drama. There's no clashing climax like the Iliad's Wooden Horse, but the story of the hero's long years of wandering in the wilderness has the mythic power of everyone's search for home. Several episodes are just right for reading aloud, from the blinding of the Cyclops and his howl of revenge to the quiet courage of Penelope trying to hold off the suitors. Lee's watercolor paintings in shades of blue and brown capture the furious action of the wild ocean and the rocky shore, as in the double-page spread of the ship caught between Scylla and Charybdis. Several pictures also focus on lonely people wrenched apart. Sutcliff's narrative style is not as taut as in Black Ships, but in the best parts, she fuses epic grandeur with a direct simplicity that will bring the universal story home. (Reviewed Sept. 1, 1996)0385322054Hazel Rochman
Excerpts
Excerpts
The CYCLOPS Seven more days at sea brought Odysseus and his fleet to an island of rough low hills, where a deep-set bay opened toward them; there in the mouth of the bay, they found a small and most beautiful islet that looked never to have felt the feet of any but the wild goats that grazed there. They beached their ships on the sheltered landward side, and passed the night feasting on fresh meat and the wine of Maron, priest of Apollo, thankful to rest from the sea whose waves pounded the outer side of the islet. Next day, Odysseus took his own ship and a great jar of the priest's wine in case of need and, leaving all the rest, went to see what kind of people lived on the main island; for they could see the faint waft of distant fires, even hear faint and far off the bleating of sheep. And again, as with the Lotus Eaters, he wished to be sure whether or not the people were dangerous. The crossing of the bay was quickly made, and Odysseus chose twelve men from his crew and pushed on inland. They had not gone far when they came upon a cave, its high entrance overhung with laurel bushes, and all about it large stone-walled folds such as men build to hold their flocks at night. Some of the folds were already filled with lambs and kids, but there was no sign of the grown flock, nor of the shepherd; so it must be that he had driven them out to pasture. Odysseus and his band prowled into the cave and looked about them. They found great baskets full of cheeses, huge pails brimming with milk and whey, but no sign or sound of life save for the bleating of the lambs from the folds outside. The seamen wanted to take some cheeses and as many of the lambs and kids as they could carry and be off back to the ship. But Odysseus, always one for seeing whatever was to be seen, wanted to get a sight of the cave's owner before they left. So they ate some of the cheese, being hungry, and settled down at the back of the cave to wait. Toward sunset a great bleating and pattering and all the sounds of a flock arose outside; a shadow fell across the entrance, and in came a monster shaped like a man but larger than any mortal, with only one eye, and that one round and hideous in the middle of his forehead. And at sight of him the Greeks knew that they had come to the land of Cyclops: one-eyed sons of Poseidon, the god of the sea, who lived in caves with their sheep and did not plant or sow, for wheat and vines grew wild for them. And the Greeks knew also that they were in deadly danger. The giant flung down a huge bundle of dry wood that he had brought in for his evening fire. Then he drove in his ewes and with them the lambs and kids, leaving the rams penned outside, and, picking up a huge flat stone, set it across the cave mouth for a door. Twenty-two yoke of horses could not have dragged away that stone. Then he set himself to milking his ewes and she-goats, carefully putting her young to each mother as he finished. The milk he set aside in pails to be drunk or made into cheese. And all this while, the Greeks sat very still in the deepmost inner end of the cave, cold-afraid and crouching in the dark. But the darkness could not shield them for long, for the one-eyed giant was making his evening fire, and as the flames sprang up, the red light licked into the farthest corner of the cave and found them crouching there. "Strangers!" roared the Cyclops when he saw them, in a voice like stones grating together on a beach. "What brings you here over the highways of the sea? Traders, are you? Or pirates sucking up other men's goods and gear?" "We are Greeks," Odysseus told him, "men from the war-host of Agamemnon, who have been long years besieging Troy. Now, with Troy fallen, we are on our way back to our own land; but winds and tides have carried our ships into strange seas; and weare come to you, hoping in the name of Zeus the All-Father that you will show us the kindness and hospitality that men show to way-weary guests beneath their roof." But in truth he expected little kindness in that place, and little enough kindness he and his men received. "As to this Zeus whom you call the All-Father," said the giant, "we the Cyclops do not care an overripe fig for him, or for all his fellow gods save for Poseidon, who is our father, for we are stronger than they are, and have no need to obey any will but our own!" And he laughed deep in his throat and, seizing two of the crouching seamen, dashed out their brains on the ground. While their comrades watched in frozen horror, he tore them limb from limb and devoured them as a mountain liondevours his kill, washing down the flesh with long drafts of milk. Then he lay down to sleep amid the huddled warmth of his flock. As soon as he was asleep, Odysseus drew his sword and, creeping close, felt for the place under the ribs where a sword thrust would pierce the giant's liver and let out his life. But even as he did so he remembered that with the Cyclops dead, there would be no getting out of that cave for himself or his men; not with that huge stone wedged across the entrance. And he sheathed his sword and went back and sat down among them once more, only shaking his head at their questioning looks. Morning came, and the giant ate two more men. Then he milked and drove out his ewes, returning their young to the folds, and set the great stone back in the entrance as lightly as a man replacing the lid on a quiver full of arrows, and departed, driving his flock away to their day's grazing in the hill pastures. The Greeks were near to despair. But there was a plan forming in Odysseus' head, bywhich he might save at least some of them. The giant had left his staff in the cave; a tall trunk of olive wood still green, that looked to the captive Greeks more like the mast of a ship; and from this, with the tools that he found ready to hand, Odysseus managed to hack a piece about the length of an outstretched man. He set his men to smooth and shape it as though for a spear-shaft, while he built up the fire and got it blazing again. Then he took the olive-wood pole, and sharpened one end, and plunged it into the red heart of the fire to harden, pulling it out at the right moment and hiding it under the piled sheep's dung against the cave wall. Back came the giant at sunset, and all happened again as the night before, save that this time, scenting danger in the air and thinking that they would be safer in the cave, he brought in his whole flock, rams and all. And well it was for the Greeks that he did so. Odysseus and his band had brought a jar of Maron's wine with them when they came exploring; and during the day Odysseus had filled one of the Cyclops' ivy-wood bowls with it, adding no drop of water to the rich and heady drink. And when the giant had eaten his hideous evening meal, Odysseus took it to him humbly as a slave, saying, "This will be better than milk for washing down human flesh." The giant drank, and smacked his lips over the goodness of it, and demanded another bowlful. Three times he drank and demanded more, and he grew very merry and swore that for such fine drink he would make the stranger a gift. "But first," he hiccuped, "you must tell me your name, that I may feel even more friendly toward you." "My name is Nobody," said Odysseus, who knew this kind of game. The giant let out a bellow of laughter. "Then I shall eat the rest of your company first, and Nobody last of all, and that shall be my gift to you." And, laughing still, he toppled over backward in wine-cup sleep, with his hair almost in the fringes of the fire. Then Odysseus brought the sharpened stake from its hiding place and made the point hot in the fire, while the rest of his band--there were but six of them now--stood round ready and waiting. And when the point glowed clear red, they took it up and with all their strength drove it into the giant's one eye and rammed it home, and Odysseus twirled it as though it were some mighty timber drill. The huge eyeball hissed, like hot iron when men plunge it into cold water to temper it, and the giant struggled to his knees and then to his feet with a frightful shriek, tearing the still glowing stake from his blood-streaming eye socket, and howling for help to his fellow Cyclops who lived in caves nearby. The giants came running, but checked outside the great entrance-stone, calling back, "Who is harming you, Polyphemus, that you wake us from our sleep with this uproar?" And the giant Polyphemus roared back, "Nobody is harming me! Nobody is killing me by his cunning!" "Then if nobody is harming you, you have no need of anyone to help you," shouted one of the giants. "If you are sick, pray to our father Poseidon, and maybe he will give you aid." Their grumbling voices grew fainter as they headed back to their own sleeping places. And the silent laughter stirred in Odysseus. Wailing in agony, the blinded giant fumbled his way to the cave entrance and heaved the stone aside to get the night coolness on his wound; but he sat down in the opening, stretching out his arms on either side so that if any of his captives tried to get out, he could feel and catch them. But Odysseus had a plan for that too. Working silently in the innermost part of the cave, he chose out the largest of the rams. And with long supple twigs drawn from the giant's sleeping place he bound them together in threes, with one of his men bound beneath the middle ram of each three, so that if the blind giant touched them he would feel only the outside rams. And the biggest and strongest ram of all he seized for himself, and clung to its underside by twisting his hands and feet in its thick belly fleece. By the time Odysseus had finished, it was the edge of dawn, and the sheep and goats were moving toward the cave entrance, where Polyphemus sat with his arms outstretched. He felt each of them as they jostled past, but could not know of the men hidden under the bellies of his finest beasts. The finest of all, burdened with Odysseus clinging under its belly, came last, and the giant fondled it, asking it sadly, "Dear ram, you who are so proud and beautiful and come always first among your fellows, why do you now come last ofall? Is it that you are slow with sorrow for your master, whom Nobody has blinded so that he cannot see your beauty anymore?" But all of them were through at last. And out on the open turf beyond the folds, Odysseus cut free his men; and they drove the sheep down toward the ship waiting on the tideline, Polyphemus shouting and stumbling far behind them as they went. The crew rejoiced at their coming, then wept for the death of six of their comrades. But there was no time for grieving, and Odysseus bade them load the sheep on board and push off for the islet where they had left the other ships. Then, seeing Polyphemus stumbling along the ragged clifftop, he cupped his hands about his mouth and bleated at him in mockery. That was not wise, for the sound gave their position away, and in fury the blind giant broke off the peak of a rocky hill and flung it after them. The rock fell just ahead of the ship and raised a wave that flung her back toward the shore; Odysseus shoved her off again with a stout pole, and his men bent to the oars, sending her leaping forward for open water. But Odysseus was still a little crazed with all that he had been through, and he shouted back, "If anyone asks who blinded you, tell them it was Odysseus, son of Laertes and Lord of Ithaca, Odysseus the Sacker of Cities!" And Polyphemus flung up his arms and prayed in fury and agony to the Lord Poseidon, "Hear me, blue-haired Poseidon. If I am your son indeed, then grant me that Odysseus, Sacker of Cities, if ever he comes again to his home, comes late and alone. And when he lands from a stranger's ship, let him find black trouble waiting for him!" And he heaved up another boulder, greater than the first, and hurled it in the direction of Odysseus' laughter. But this time it fell short and the wave that it made drove the ship forward on her way toward the islet where the rest of the fleet waited for them. The LORD of the WINDS Their next landfall was the island of Aeolus, Lord of the Winds. Here, in a splendid palace walled with bronze and set above towering cliffs, Aeolus lived most happily with his six strong sons and six fair daughters, whom he had married to each other after the manner of the kings and queens of Egypt. Aeolus received Odysseus and his company with great kindness and sheltered them beneath his roof for a full month, while Odysseus told him the story of the siege of Troy and his own homeward voyage so far. And when the time came for them to continue on their way, Aeolus gave them fresh supplies for the voyage. To Odysseus himself he gave a bag made from a single oxhide in which he had tied up all the winds of the world save one, a gentle west wind to carry them safe home. The bag was made fast with silver cords and stowed beneath the rowing benches of Odysseus' ship; and Aeolus bade them on no account to open it until they were safely tied up in their home harbor. They sailed for nine days and nights never needing to touch the oars, with the west wind sweetly curving their sails; and during all that time Odysseus held his place at the steering-oar and would not trust it to anyone else. But on the tenth day they sighted Ithaca. Then Odysseus, worn out, and knowing by the familiar shape of his home hills lifting over the skyline that they were near the end of their seafaring, fell asleep. And while he slept, his crew, who had all along been filled with curiosity as to what was in the oxhide bag, began to talk among themselves. Excerpted from The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey by Rosemary Sutcliff All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
