“I perceived his cunning and determined that he should not outwit me. ‘My ship,’ said I aloud. ‘Ah, had we it still we should not be here. The waves destroyed it, and had we not been able to swim, we should all have perished.’
“Instead of answering, the cruel Cyclops stretched out both his arms, seized two of my companions, and dashed them upon the ground so that blood and brains spattered in all directions. He tore them apart and ate them. We shrieked aloud when we saw this horrid deed and prayed to Jupiter. But our lamentations did not affect the Cyclops. He drank a tub of milk and stretched himself out to sleep.
“‘What shall I do?’ I said to myself when the monster began to snore. ‘Shall I plunge my sword into his heart before he awakens. But no! if I kill him, who shall open the door for us?’ No one but the giant himself would be able to move away the mighty stone. We should only be preparing for ourselves a miserable death by slow starvation. We needed to invent some better plan, and so we awaited the break of day in fear and uncertainty.
“With the dawn the Cyclops awoke and went about his usual business. He put fresh wood on the fire, milked his herd, and put the nurslings to suck. Then he again seized two of my dear companions and killed and ate them as he had done the others. Next, he pushed back the stone, drove out the flocks, and deftly rolled the great rock back in its place.
“Thus we were again imprisoned for the whole day. I now conceived a plan to avenge our lost comrades and to free ourselves—I would put out his great eye with a red-hot stake! I found just the piece for the purpose. It was the giant’s own club of green olivewood, as long and as thick as a mast. I hewed off a piece from the end, my companions helped to smooth it, and I sharpened the point and hardened it in the glowing coals. When my weapon was ready I carefully concealed it under the pile of straw on the ground. Hereupon we drew lots to find out which of my companions should help me thrust the stake into the eye of the sleeping giant, and we fearfully awaited his return. At last he came, driving in his flocks, and this time he left none of the animals outside, either because he was suspicious of us or because a god had so decreed. He set up the great stone, milked his sheep and goats, ate two more of my poor companions, and put fresh wood on the fire. I now brought out the wine skin and went boldly up to him.
“‘See, Cyclops,’ said I, filling a jug; ‘here is something to drink; try it. Wine tastes good after human flesh. Take it that thou mayest see what good drink we had upon our lost vessel.’ He took the jug and drank. How delighted he was! He emptied the vessel and said, smiling: ‘Fill again from thy wine skin and tell me thy name, that I may make thee a gift. What a delicious draught! We have wine here, but compared with thine it is but water. Do but give me more.’
“I filled his jug three times and he gulped it down eagerly. I soon saw with delight that his senses were becoming clouded. Then an excellent idea occurred to me. ‘Thou wouldst know my name,’ said I. ‘My name is Nobody. My father and mother call me Nobody and so do all people.’
“‘Good,’ said he. ‘Then Nobody shall be the last one I shall devour. Take that as thy guest gift from me.’
“With these words he fell upon his back overpowered by sleep. He tossed about until deep snores showed that he had at last lost consciousness. Our time had come! I quickly drew forth the stake, plunged the end into the fire, turned it about until it was glowing, and then called upon my companions to assist me. A god put courage into our hearts. We all took hold and in an instant had plunged the fiery pole into the sleeper’s great eye. As when a smith dips glowing iron into cold water, thus hissed the Cyclops’ eye as the torch penetrated it. But we pushed it in the deeper and turned it round and round until the blood gushed out and flowed over forehead and cheeks. With a horrible roar the giant jumped up and we all fled into the corners of the cave. Bewildered by the pain, he pulled the glowing brand from his eye and threw it against the rocky wall, raving like a crazy man. The other Cyclops were aroused by his desperate cries and gathered about the cave.
“‘What has happened to thee, Polyphemus,’ they cried, ‘to make thee roar thus? Has someone stolen thy cattle or a murderer attacked thee?’