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On such wise they spake one to another. And Melanthius drew
near them, the goatherd, leading the goats that were most
excellent in all the herds to be a dinner for the wooers,
and two shepherds bare him company. So he tethered the
goats beneath the echoing gallery, and himself spake to
Odysseus and taunted him, saying:

'Stranger, wilt thou still be a plague to us here in the
hall, with thy begging of men, and wilt not get thee gone?
In no wise do I think we twain will be sundered, till we
taste each the other's fists, for thy begging is out of all
order. Also there are elsewhere other feasts of the
Achaeans.'

So he spake, but Odysseus of many counsels answered him not
a word, but in silence he shook his head, brooding evil in
the deep of his heart.

Moreover a third man came up, Philoetius, a master of men,
leading a barren heifer for the wooers and fatted goats.
Now ferrymen had brought them over from the mainland,
boatmen who send even other folks on their way, whosoever
comes to them. The cattle he tethered carefully beneath the
echoing gallery, and himself drew close to the swineherd,
and began to question him:

'Swineherd, who is this stranger but newly come to our
house? From what men does he claim his birth? Where are his
kin and his native fields? Hapless is he, yet in fashion he
is like a royal lord; but the gods mar the goodliness of
wandering men, when even for kings they have woven the web
of trouble.'

So he spake, and came close to him offering his right hand
in welcome, and uttering his voice spake to him winged
words:

'Father and stranger, hail! may happiness be thine in the
time to come; but as now, thou art fast holden in many
sorrows! Father Zeus, none other god is more baneful than
thou; thou hast no compassion on men, that are of thine own
begetting, but makest them to have fellowship with evil and
with bitter pains. The sweat brake out on me when I beheld
him, and mine eyes stand full of tears for memory of
Odysseus, for he too, methinks, is clad in such vile
raiment as this, and is wandering among men, if haply he
yet lives and sees the sunlight. But if he be dead already
and in the house of Hades, then woe is me for the noble
Odysseus, who set me over his cattle while I was but a lad
in the land of the Cephallenians. And now these wax
numberless; in no better wise could the breed of
broad-browed cattle of any mortal increase, even as the
ears of corn. But strangers command me to be ever driving
these for themselves to devour, and they care nothing for
the heir in the house, nor tremble at the vengeance of the
gods, for they are eager even now to divide among
themselves the possessions of our lord who is long afar.
Now my heart within my breast often revolves this thing.
Truly it were an evil deed, while a son of the master is
yet alive, to get me away to the land of strangers, and go
off, with cattle and all, to alien men. But this is more
grievous still, to abide here in affliction watching over
the herds of other men. Yea, long ago I would have fled and
gone forth to some other of the proud kings, for things are
now past sufferance; but still my thought is of that
hapless one, if he might come I know not whence, and make a
scattering of the wooers in the halls.'

Then Odysseus of many counsels answered him saying:

'Neatherd, seeing thou art not like to an evil man or a
foolish, and of myself I mark how that thou hast gotten
understanding of heart, therefore I will tell thee
somewhat, and swear a great oath to confirm it. Be Zeus now
my witness before any god, and the hospitable board and the
hearth of noble Odysseus, whereunto I am come, that while
thou art still in this place Odysseus shall come home, and
thou shalt see with thine eyes, if thou wilt, the slaying
of the wooers who lord it here.'

Then the neatherd made answer, saying:

'Ah, would, stranger, that Cronion may accomplish this
word! So shouldst thou know what my might is, and how my
hands follow to obey.'

In like manner Eumaeus prayed to all the gods, that wise
Odysseus might return to his own home.

On such wise they spake one to the other, but the wooers at
that time were framing death and doom for Telemachus. Even
so there came by them a bird on their left, an eagle of
lofty flight, with a cowering dove in his clutch. Then
Amphinomus made harangue and spake among them:

'Friends, this counsel of ours will not go well, namely,
the slaying of Telemachus; rather let us bethink us of the
feast.'

So spake Amphinomus, and his saying pleased them well. They
passed into the halls of godlike Odysseus and laid by their
mantles on the chairs and high seats, and sacrificed great
sheep and stout goats and the fatlings of the boars and the
heifer of the herd; then they roasted the entrails and
served them round and mixed wine in the bowl, and the
swineherd set a cup by each man. And Philoetius, a master
of men, handed them wheaten bread in beautiful baskets, and
Melanthius poured out the wine. So they put forth their
hands on the good cheer set before them.

Now Telemachus, in his crafty purpose, made Odysseus to sit
down within the stablished hall by the threshold of stone,
and placed for him a mean settle and a little table. He set
by him his mess of the entrails, and poured wine into a
golden cup and spake to him, saying:

'There, sit thee down, drinking thy wine among the lords,
and the taunts and buffets of all the wooers I myself will
ward off from thee, for this is no house of public resort,
but the very house of Odysseus, and for me he won it. But,