n whose ship Athene had borrowed came to
them.

"When will Telemachus return with my ship?" he asked.

"I need it that I may cross over to where I keep my horses. I wish to
catch one and break him in."

When the wooers heard from him that Telemachus had sailed away with
twenty brave youths, in the swiftest ship in Ithaca, they were filled
with rage.

At once they got a ship and sailed to where they might meet Telemachus
in a strait between Ithaca and another rocky island.

"We will slay him there," said they. "We will give him a woful end to
his voyage in search of his father."

When Penelope heard this, and knew that her son was perhaps sailing to
his doom, her heart well-nigh broke. She wept bitterly, and reproached
her maidens with not having told her that Telemachus had gone.

"Slay me if thou wilt," said the old nurse, "but I alone knew it.
Telemachus made me promise not to tell thee, that thy fair face might
not be marred by weeping. Do not fear, the goddess Athene will take
care of him."

Thus she comforted her mistress, and although she lay long awake that
night, Penelope fell asleep at last. In her dreams Athene came to her
and told her that Telemachus would come safely home, and so Penelope's
sad heart was cheered.

While she slept the wooers sailed away in a swift, black ship, with
spears in their hands and murder in their hearts. On a little rocky
isle they landed until the ship of Telemachus should pass, and there
they waited, that they might slay him when he came.

II

HOW ODYSSEUS CAME HOME

While yet Telemachus sought news of his father, Odysseus was well-nigh
home. On that misty morning when he found himself in Ithaca, and did
not know it, because the gray fog made everything seem strange and
unfriendly, Odysseus was very sad as he sat beside the moaning sea.

Then came Athene, and drove the mist before her, and Odysseus saw
again the land that he loved, and knew that his wanderings were past.
She told him the tale of the wooers, and of the unhappiness of
Penelope and Telemachus, and the heart of Odysseus grew hot within
him.

"Stand by me!" he said to the goddess. "If thou of thy grace wilt help
me, I myself will fight three hundred men."

"Truly I will stand by thee," said Athene, "and many of the greedy
wooers shall stain the earth with their blood."

She then told Odysseus how the wooers were to be destroyed, and
Odysseus gladly agreed to her plans. First she made him h