But Athena resolved to help
Odysseus, so she bound the ways of all the winds except one, and made
them lie quite still; but she roused a good stiff breeze from the
North that should lay the waters till Odysseus reached the land of
the Phaeacians where he would be safe.
Thereon he floated about for two
nights and two days in the water, with a heavy swell on the sea and
death staring him in the face; but when the third day broke, the wind
fell and there was a dead calm without so much as a breath of air
stirring. As he rose on the swell he looked eagerly ahead, and could
see land quite near. Then, as children rejoice when their dear father
begins to get better after having for a long time borne sore
affliction sent him by some angry spirit, but the gods deliver him
from evil, so was Odysseus thankful when he again saw land and trees,
and swam on with all his strength that he might once more set foot
upon dry ground. When, however, he got within earshot, he began to
hear the surf thundering up against the rocks, for the swell still
broke against them with a terrific roar. Everything was enveloped in
spray; there were no harbors where a ship might ride, nor shelter of
any kind, but only headlands, low-lying rocks, and mountain
tops.
Odysseus’ heart now began to
fail him, and he said despairingly to himself, "Alas, Zeus has let me
see land after swimming so far that I had given up all hope, but I
can find no landing place, for the coast is rocky and surf-beaten,
the rocks are smooth and rise sheer from the sea, with deep water
close under them so that I cannot climb out for want of foothold. I
am afraid some great wave will lift me off my legs and dash me
against the rocks as I leave the water - which would give me a sorry
landing. If, on the other hand, I swim further in search of some
shelving beach or harbor, a wind may carry me out to sea again sorely
against my will, or heaven may send some great monster of the deep to
attack me; for Amphitrite breeds many such, and I know that Poseidon
is very angry with me."
While he was thus in two minds a
wave caught him and took him with such force against the rocks that
he would have been smashed and torn to pieces if Athena had not shown
him what to do. He caught hold of the rock with both hands and clung
to it groaning with pain till the wave retired, so he was saved that
time; but presently the wave came on again and carried him back with
it far into the sea- tearing his hands as the suckers of a octopus
are torn when some one plucks it from its bed, and the stones come up
along with it- even so did the rocks tear the skin from his strong
hands, and then the wave drew him deep down under the
water.
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