s well, that he kept for the roughest weather. But he could not bring
himself to stay there too, away from his herd of pigs, and he wrapped
himself up warmly and went out to sleep beside them in the open. Ulysses
saw, and smiled to see, what care he took of everything, while he thought
his master was far away.

[On the following morning] Ulysses and the swineherd were already
preparing their breakfast when Telemachus came up. The dogs knew him and
played round him lovingly. "Eumaeus," said Ulysses, "some friend of yours
is coming, for I hear footsteps, and the dogs are pleased and do not
bark."

He had hardly finished speaking when his own dear son stood in the
doorway. The swineherd started up and dropped the vessels in which he was
mixing the wine. He went to meet his young master and fell on his neck and
kissed him as a father would kiss an only son escaped from death. "Light
of my eyes, dear son, have you come home at last? When you sailed away to
Pylos, I never thought to see you again. But come in and let me feast my
eyes upon you; for you do not often visit us, but are kept at home in the
town, watching that crowd of ruinous suitors."

And Telemachus answered, "Gladly, good father; I have come to see you, and
to hear tidings of my mother."

Then the swineherd told him that his mother still waited patiently at
home, and spent her days and nights in weeping.

[Illustration: "DEAR SON, HAVE YOU COME HOME AT LAST? WHEN YOU SAILED AWAY
TO PYLOS, I NEVER THOUGHT TO SEE YOU AGAIN. BUT COME IN AND LET ME FEAST
MY EYES UPON YOU; FOR YOU DO NOT OFTEN VISIT US, BUT ARE KEPT AT HOME IN
THE TOWN, WATCHING THAT CROWD OF RUINOUS SUITORS." AND TELEMACHUS
ANSWERED, "GLADLY, GOOD FATHER; I HAVE COME TO SEE YOU, AND TO HEAR
TIDINGS OF MY MOTHER." THEN THE SWINEHERD TOLD HIM THAT HIS MOTHER STILL
WAITED PATIENTLY AT HOME.]

Then Telemachus went into the house, and as he came up Ulysses rose to
give him his seat, but he would not take it, and said, "Keep your seat,
stranger, this man shall make up another for me." So Ulysses sat down
again, and the swineherd made a seat for Telemachus of the green brushwood
and put a fleece upon it. Then he set food before them, and when they had
eaten, Telemachus asked who the stranger was, and how he had come to
Ithaca. And Eumaeus told him Ulysses's own story and begged him to protect
the wanderer. But Telemachus thought of the suitors and did not wish to
take him to the palace.

"I will g