Odysseus and the CyclopsOdysseus and his tired crew rest in a cave after their ship is wrecked on Sicily, only to discover that they are sharing the home of Polyphemus the cyclops, who is famous for his love of the taste of human flesh!
"What's that?" Odysseus asked, startled awake. He thought he heard somebody shouting and pounding around nearby. The roar was reverberating in the cave where he and his twelve colleagues - all Greeks - were resting. Odysseus was attentive. There it was again, a terrifying sound that seemed to shake the entire cave.
Eurylochus, Odysseus' friend, snored happily beside him. Odysseus shook him till his eyelids opened.
"What's the problem?" Eurylochus mumbled drowsily.
"I thought you said this cave was deserted, that no one lived in there!" Odysseus snarled furiously.
"It seems that no one did," Eurylochus responded, astonished to see Odysseus so enraged. "We were exhausted after our journey here to the island of Sicily, so I chose the first cave we discovered to stay for the night."
"You may soon regret not being more cautious," Odysseus warned him.
"There is some dreadful thing nearby. Listen!"
Eurylochus strained his ears and paid close attention. He didn't hear anything. All was quiet. Odysseus had clearly made a mistake. Eurylochus opened his mouth to express himself. It remained open the next minute but in fear and awe.
A tremendous, rumbling roar reached Eurylochus' ears from outside the cave's entrance. It was so loud that it woke up the other eleven Greeks with Odysseus. They all sat up, trembling with fear.
"What exactly is it? What exactly is it? "They sobbed.
"That sounds like some monstrous gigantic!" one of the Greeks exclaimed, his voice shaking.
It WAS a colossus. Two gigantic feet slammed down right outside the cave door as Odysseus and his crew watched in dread. They produced a thunderous ruckus. Each foot was larger than all thirteen males together.
They were all terrified as they stared up, past the giant's massive knees and legs as thick as tree trunks, beyond the giant's enormous chest, to the ugliest, most vicious face they had ever seen. Take a peek at that mouth! It's the size of the gates of Troy! One of the Greeks exclaimed.
The giant's cheeks were as large as Troy's walls, and his hair flowed down on either side of them like two long, thick curtains. Odysseus and his crew then noticed the eye. Just one eye. It was placed in the centre of the giant's brow. The eye was fixed on the thirteen terrified men.
"Olympus, by all the gods!" Odysseus sobbed. "The Cyclops has arrived! Polyphemus has arrived!"
Polyphemus was well-known for one thing: he enjoyed the flavour of human flesh. Odysseus' men were aware of this. They got to their feet and dashed towards the cave's back entrance, trying to find a place to hide. There was nowhere to go.
Polyphemus was now inside the cave. He towered over the Greeks, his brow almost touching the roof.
"I've gone out searching for my meals," Polyphemus exclaimed with delight. "But instead, I arrive home to find it waiting for me!"
Polyphemus grabbed six of the Greeks with his big hand before they could jump out of the way. Polyphemus opened his massive mouth as they strained and yelled. Odysseus looked in horror as the six Greeks vanished inside the giant's maw. They were gone with a crunch. Polyphemus licked his lips in delight.
Odysseus cried out in despair and wrath. The six men who had just perished horrifically had faced numerous perils. They had survived the ten-year war waged by the Greeks against Troy with Odysseus and the others. Once the Greeks destroyed Troy, they embarked on a long and perilous sea voyage home. They passed through many storms on the route. Their ship had been brought to Sicily by a storm. The six men had prepared a supper for the awful Cyclops in the cave where Odysseus had hoped to find rest and comfort.
"Why do you cry?" Odysseus' ears were filled with the sound of a loud, booming voice. When he looked up, he saw Polyphemus staring at him. "Do you think it's because I ate your friends?" Polyphemus inquired. "Do not cry! You'll be with them shortly!"
Polyphemus then grabbed Odysseus and the other Greeks, three in one hand and four in the other. Polyphemus' gaze moved from one group of men to the next. The Cyclops appeared to be making a choice.
The Cyclops then stated, much to their relief, "I have reconsidered. I've had enough food for the time being. I'll hold you until later. Meanwhile, build me a fire to keep me warm. A massive one!"
Odysseus and the six Greeks were once again on the ground.
On one side of the cave, there was a pile of firewood. The Greeks rushed over to it and began heaping it up to start a fire. "We must find a way out of here," Odysseus said quietly to his comrades. "Let me think about it. Fire! Fire can even harm Polyphemus." Meanwhile, Polyphemus left the cave. He returned with the long pole he had used as a walking stick and a large container of wine. The Cyclops was followed into the cave by a flock of sheep. Odysseus noticed a large pile of sheep's skins in one corner.
"I know what's going to happen to these animals!" he grumbled.
Then an idea came to him. He understood how the sheep may assist them all in escaping!
The fire was now glowing brightly. Polyphemus sat alongside it, holding up his massive hands to warm them.
"This is excellent," he said. "You people may be little, weaklings, but you've constructed a good fire."
Odysseus pretended to be appreciative. "We merely want to serve you, Polyphemus," he explained to the Cyclops. "Please allow us to fetch you some wine."
Polyphemus grinned. "That's a great concept," he exclaimed. "Since you're so small, you can bring me the wine in those buckets over there," the Cyclops said, motioning to the other side of the cave.
Odysseus and his companions started pouring buckets from the massive jar of Wine.
"There's enough wine here to fill a lake!" Odysseus murmured. "We must ensure that Polyphemus consumes all of it."
It took a long time to get Polyphemus intoxicated, as Odysseus desired - the Greeks tramped back and forth with bucket after bucket of wine. Polyphemus drank all of them. Polyphemus fell asleep after finishing all the liquor. Finally, his one eye closed and he snored on the floor.
"Quickly!" Odysseus spoke quietly to the others. "Let's get the walking staff of the Cyclops."
They used all their strength to lift the stick off the floor. They drew it towards the fire, holding its pointed end in the flames until it became hot.
"Excellent!" exclaimed Odysseus. "Let us now raise it... Come on, people. Higher, higher, higher!"
After they had raised the staff high enough, Odysseus said, "Plunge it right into his eye. Ready? Now!"
They dashed forward, thrusting the heated end of the stick into Polyphemus' closed eye. There was a horrifying odour of burning and searing.
Polyphemus yelled with his palms to his eyes, shouting and bellowing. The roar nearly deafened the Greeks.
"What's with the darkness?" shouted Polyphemus. "I don't see anything!"
Polyphemus began to feel the cave's walls and floor. He was in search of Odysseus and his companions. His massive fingers kept hammering down near them. They might easily smash them.
Odysseus dashed over to the heap of sheep skins. He quickly tossed one to each of his colleagues. "Cover yourselves with these and go on your hands and knees!" he exclaimed. "Then begin creeping towards the cave's door."
The Greeks quickly followed Odysseus' instructions. Odysseus became aware of the Cyclops' fingers running up the sheep's skin covering his back. The weight of the fingers felt enormous. Polyphemus felt the skin of another sheep, then another, and another. Each one was assigned to one of the Greeks.
"They've gotten away!" Polyphemus screamed. "Those pesky humans! They blinded me and fled. Only the sheep are left in the cave."
Odysseus and his companions climbed out of the cave as quickly as they could. They hurried for the coast after throwing off the sheep's skins that had saved their lives.
"The ship is too badly damaged to sail," Odysseus declared abruptly. "But the tiny boats are fine. Quick! Launch them and allow us to leave this island."
The Greeks moved the boats away from the shore. When they were floating, they began rowing them out to sea as quickly as they could move the oars.
Before they arrived in Greece and returned home, Odysseus and his comrades faced many more adventures. They remembered the night they escaped from the Cyclops as the most frightening and terrifying of all.
