ifts they placed in a heap by the trunk of the olive-tree,
a little out of the road, so that no passer-by might rob him as he slept.

Then they sailed away; and after they were gone Ulysses awoke, but he
could not recognize the land where he lay, for Athene had cast a mist
about him so that everything looked strange, though he was the lord of it
all. There were the mountain paths and the sheltering creeks, the high,
steep rocks and the trees in bloom; but he could not see it aright, and
started up and smote his hands upon his thighs and cried aloud,--

"What land have I come to now? And what can I do with all this treasure?
If the Sea-kings did not really mean to send me back to Ithaca they should
have conveyed me to some other people who would have sent me home." And
then he counted the gifts over, the golden vessels, and the beautiful
garments, and found nothing missing, but they gave him no pleasure; and he
turned sadly to walk along the shore and dream of home, when a young
herdsman met him, of noble figure, with a javelin in his hand and a fine
mantle in double folds upon his shoulders. Ulysses was glad to greet him,
and asked what country he had reached. It was Athene in disguise, and she
answered, "Truly, stranger, you must have come from far indeed. For this
is a famous island that all men know, whether they live in the east or in
the west. It is a rugged land, and no place for horses and chariots, but
though it is narrow, it is not so poor; for there are stores of corn and
wine, plenty of water for the cattle and plenty of wood. Its name is
Ithaca, and some men have heard of it even at Troy, which they say is a
long way off."

Then brave Ulysses rejoiced in his heart to hear that it was his native
land; but he would not tell the herdsman who he was, and made up a cunning
story that he had escaped as an outlaw from Crete and had been left upon
the island by a Phoenician crew. And the goddess smiled to hear him, and
stood forth in her own true form, a wise and noble woman, tall and fair,
and put her hand upon his shoulder, and said,--

"Come, let us practice no more craft on one another, Ulysses, for we are
both famous for our wit and wiles, you among mortals and I among the Gods.
I am Pallas Athene, daughter of Zeus, and I have stood beside you and
protected you in all your wanderings and toil. And now I have come here to
tell you of the troubles that await you in your house, and to help you
with my counsel. B