en, and he fell on the ground with blood
gushing from his mouth. Odysseus dragged him outside by the heels, and
propped him, with his staff in his hands, against the courtyard wall.

"Sit there," he said, "and scare off dogs and swine."

The wooers laughed and enjoyed the sport, and gave gifts of food to
the sturdy old beggar, as they took Odysseus to be. All evening they
feasted and drank, but when night fell they went to their own homes.

When they were gone Odysseus and Telemachus carried all the helmets
and swords and sharp-pointed spears that stood in the hall, away to
the armory and hid them there.

Then Telemachus went to his room to rest, but Odysseus sat in the hall
where the servants were clearing away the remains of the feast. While
he sat there, Penelope came with her maids and rested on a chair In
front of the glowing wood fire on which the servants had piled fresh
logs.

She talked kindly and gently to the old beggar-man, and bade the old
nurse bring water to wash his weary feet.

Now, once long ago, a wild boar that he hunted had torn the leg of
Odysseus with his tusk, and as the old nurse washed his feet she saw
the scar. In a moment she knew her master, and cried out. The brazen
bath fell with a clang on the floor, and the water was spilt.

"Thou art Odysseus," she said; "I did not know thee, my dear child,
until I found the scar."

Penelope must have heard her glad cry, had not Athene at that moment
made her deep in thoughts of other things. Quickly Odysseus bade the
old nurse be silent, and the old woman obeyed him.

Before Penelope went to rest she said sadly to Odysseus: "I feel that
the end is drawing near. Soon I shall be parted from the house of
Odysseus. My husband, who was always the best and bravest, used to set
up the twelve axes ye see standing here, and between each axe he shot
an arrow. I have told the wooers that I shall marry whichever one of
them can do the like. Then I shall leave this house, which must be for
ever most dear to me."

Then answered the old beggar-man: "Odysseus will be here when they
shoot. It will be Odysseus who shoots between the axes."

Penelope, longing for his words to be true, went up to her room and
lay crying on her bed until her pillows were wet. Then Athene sent
sleep upon her eyelids and made her forget all her sorrows.

Odysseus, too, would have tossed all night wide awake, with a heart
full of anger and revenge, had not Athene gently laid her