d thighs were seen, the wooers were amazed and Irus was frightened. He
would have slipped away if Antinous had not caught him and said to him,
'You lubber, you! If you do not stand up before this man I will have you
flung on my ship and sent over to King Echetus, who will cut off your
nose and ears and give your flesh to his dogs to eat,' He took hold of
Irus and dragged him into the ring.

The fighters faced each other. But Odysseus with his hands upraised
stood for long without striking, for he was pondering whether he should
strike Irus a hard or a light blow. It seemed to him better to strike
him lightly, so that his strength should not be made a matter for the
wooers to note and wonder at. Irus struck first. He struck Odysseus on
the shoulder. Then Odysseus aimed a blow at his neck, just below the
ear, and the beggar fell to the ground, with the blood gushing from his
mouth and nose.

[Illustration]

The wooers were not sorry for Irus. They laughed until they were ready
to fall backwards. Then Odysseus seized Irus by the feet, and dragged
him out of the house, and to the gate of the courtyard. He lifted him up
and put him standing against the wall. Placing the staff in the beggar's
hands, he said, 6 Sit there, and scare off the dogs and swine, and do
not let such a one as you lord it over strangers. A worse thing might
have befallen you.'

Then back he went to the hall, with his beggar's bag on his shoulder and
his clothes more ragged than ever. Back he went, and when the wooers saw
him they burst into peals of laughter and shouted out:

'May Zeus, O stranger, give thee thy dearest wish and thy heart's
desire. Thou only shalt be beggar in Ithaka.' They laughed and laughed
again when Antinous brought out the great pudding that was the prize.
Odysseus took it from him. And another of the wooers pledged him in a
golden cup, saying, 'May you come to your own, O beggar, and may
happiness be yours in time to come.'

While these things were happening, the wife of Odysseus, the lady
Penelope, called to Eurycleia, and said, 'This evening I will go into
the hall of our house and speak to my son, Telemachus. Bid my two
handmaidens make ready to come with me, for I shrink from going amongst
the wooers alone.'

Eurycleia went to tell the handmaidens and Penelope washed off her
cheeks the traces of the tears that she had wept that day. Then she sat
down to wait for the handmaidens to come to her. As she waited she fell