"When we reached the island we found the friends we had left there waiting anxiously for our return. My men drew their boat up on to the smooth sand and stepped upon the beach, taking the sheep along with them. Each man took an equal share, but they gave me the ram which had saved my life. We took him out upon the beach and offered him up as a sacrifice to Zeus.
"But sacrifices were vain, for Zeus had more evil for us in his mind. We spent the rest of the day on the island, eating and drinking, and when the sun went down we camped on the shore for the night. In the morning I called my men to climb the decks and cut the ropes that kept us fastened to the shore. With all speed they went aboard and took their oars in hand and set sail for home, glad to escape, but sorrowing for our lost companions."
CHAPTER XVII
THE ADVENTURES OF ODYSSEUS ON THE ISLAND OF ÆOLUS
"We sailed about on unknown seas for many days, when we reached the island where Æolus made his abode. This island was surrounded by smooth rocks and guarded by a wall of shining brass.
"Æolus had twelve children, six sons and six daughters, and they banqueted on an endless variety of meats from day to day all the year round. Æolus was a kindly, genial god; he was master of the winds, and one could hear the music of sweet pipes in his halls all day, and the air was fresh and fragrant there.
"Æolus welcomed us hospitably and kept us with him a whole month. He inquired of the fate of all our companions in the war with Troy, and we stated what had happened to them. Then we prayed him to send us home, and the god very kindly gave us a sack made of skin in which he had tied up all the contrary winds, leaving only the west wind free to carry us safely home.
"I took the great bag of winds and bound it fast to the main mast of the ship with a silver chain, so that no rude wind could escape and blow us out of our way. We sailed along nine days and nine nights, blown by the friendly breeze from the west, and on the tenth we saw in the distance the mountain tops of Ithaca and the fires along the shore.