THE BLINDING OF THE CYCLOPS
"When the monster had filled himself with food, he stretched out on
the floor of the cave to sleep. Then the thought came to me to thrust
a sword into his heart. But this was not a wise course to take, because
we should never have been able to remove the stone from the entrance
to the cave.
"We passed the night in mourning and lamentations. As soon as daylight
appeared, the Cyclops woke up and lit a fire and milked his sheep
again. Then he seized two more of my companions and devoured them.
When his morning meal was done he rolled the stone back from the door
and drove his beasts out, not forgetting to secure the entrance. We
could hear his noisy shouts afar off as he led his flocks over the
grassy heights, and we began to make plans to destroy him.
"We found a great club of green olive-wood in the cave; one that the
Cyclops had cut for his own use. It was as large as the mast of a
ship, and he had laid it away to dry. I cut off a fathom's length
from this club and handed the piece to my companions, who smoothed
off its sides and sharpened it at one end. This being done, I put
the sharp end of it into the fire. The stick became very hard, and
then I hid the weapon under a heap of litter which was piled up in
the cave. We cast lots to see who should assist me to put out the
eye of the Cyclops when he was asleep.
"When evening came the Cyclops returned to the cave with his fat sheep
and kids. He seemed to suspect that there was mischief afoot, for
he did not leave any of them outside. After milking the ewes and goats
he again seized two of my companions and made his supper of them.
But I filled a large drinking-vessel with the wine from our wine-skin
and stepped boldly out and said to him: 'Here is a cup of wine which
I brought, hoping that thou wouldst spare my life, O Cyclops, for
thy wrath is boundless.' He took the cup and drank. The wine delighted
him greatly, and he handed me the cup after emptying it and said:
'Give me another draught and tell me thy name. I will give thee a
generous gift, such as becomes a host. We, too, have wine, but not
such as yours. That tastes like nectar and ambrosia.'
"Three times I filled the cup and brought it to him, and three times
the Cyclops drank it like a madman. When the wine had overpowered
him, I said to him: 'Cyclops, thou dost wish to know my name, and
I will tell it, but thou must give me the present thou hast promised.
My name is Nobody. My father and mother gave me this name and my friends
all call me by it.' 'Then,' said the Cyclops, 'I shall eat Nobody
last of all. This is my present.'
"After these words he fell asleep and, being very drunk, he began
to spew out the wine and flesh he had taken. I took the piece of
olive-wood which my men had sharpened and put the point of it into
the fire and held it there until it was a glowing coal. My comrades
stood near me and I encouraged them with brave words. We thrust the
burning stick into the Cyclops' eye and put it out. He howled with
pain, and, stung to madness, he seized the stick and flung it across
the cave.
"He called to the other Cyclops, who lived in divers caves on the
surrounding mountains, while we hid ourselves in fear in the most
remote corners of the cave. The giants heard him and came running
to help him, but they could not get into the cave. They stood near
the stone, close to the door, and called out: 'What ails thee,
Polyphemus? Is anyone trying to kill thee?' 'Woe is me!' cried
Polyphemus, 'Nobody is trying to kill me.' 'Then why dost thou shout
and cry for help?' said they. 'If nobody hurts thee, then thou art
not hurt.'
"With these words they went off, and we rejoiced greatly that my trick
had deceived them."