Tales from the Odyssey, Part 1 by Mary Pope Osborne

Author:Mary Pope Osborne [Osborne, Mary Pope]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: ebook
Publisher: Disney Publishing Worldwide
Published: 2010-04-25T04:00:00+00:00

SIX

ANOTHER JOURNEY

In the days that followed, Odysseus and his men enjoyed the warmth and luxury of Circe’s palace. They rested and ate good meat and drank sweet wine.

As they refreshed themselves on the enchanted island, time passed swiftly. The days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months. After a full year, Odysseus’ men came to him.

“Should we not leave this palace soon?” one asked.

“Have you forgotten Ithaca?” said another. “Shall we never see our homeland again?”

Odysseus’ heart was stirred by the words of his men. He thought of home—of Penelope and Telemachus, and of his mother and father. A great yearning to see them rose up in him. He hurried to Circe’s chambers.

“My men and I are strong again thanks to your kindness,” he said. “But remember the promise you made me? You said you would help us return safely to Ithaca, once we had rested and regained our strength.”

“And I shall,” said Circe. “But you must take another journey first. You must seek counsel from Tiresias, the blind prophet of Thebes. Tiresias sees the future. Only he can tell you how to get home.”

“But Tiresias of Thebes is dead,” said Odysseus, puzzled.

“Yes, Tiresias is dead,” said Circe, “but he still has all the wisdom he had on earth.”

“I do not understand,” said Odysseus. “How can one who lives in the Land of the Dead give counsel to a living man?”

“You must travel to the Land of the Dead,” said Circe. “There you will speak to the ghost of Tiresias.”

Odysseus could not speak. It seemed an unbearable terror for a living man to visit the dark world ruled by the god Hades, and his queen, Persephone.

“No man has ever found the Land of the Dead,” he said in a hushed voice. “Only the spirits know how to travel there. What ship will take me? What wind will blow?”

“You cannot travel all the way there in your ship,” said Circe. “The North Wind will take you to the edge of the sea, to Oceanus, the river that circles the world. Once you have sailed across Oceanus, you may enter the Land of the Dead.”

“What must I do then?” Odysseus asked.

“You must disembark from your ship and travel on foot through a grove of willows and poplars,” said Circe. “When you come to the place where two rivers meet—the River of Groans and the River of Flame—dig a trench. Pour honey, milk, wine, and white barley meal into it, as gifts to the spirits of the dead. Then sacrifice two sheep and pour their blood into the trench. After you have done this, stand guard until the ghost of Tiresias appears. Allow him to drink from the trench, and he will tell you how to find your way home to Ithaca.”

Odysseus bowed his head. He knew he could not avoid this dreadful journey if he wanted to see his home and family again. He tried to gather his courage, as he so often ordered his men to do. He looked up at Circe and nodded.

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