he
name of the donor. Odysseus replied that his name was Noman, whereupon
Polyphemus, graciously announced that he would evince his gratitude by
eating him the last.

The monster, thoroughly overcome with the powerful old liquor, soon fell
into a heavy sleep, and Odysseus lost no time in putting his plans into
execution. He had cut during the day a large piece of the giant's own
olive-staff, which he now heated in the fire, and, aided by his companions,
thrust it into the eye-ball of Polyphemus, and in this manner effectually
blinded him.

The giant made the cave resound with his howls of pain and rage. His cries
being heard by his brother Cyclops, who lived in caves not far distant from
his own, they soon came trooping over the hills from all sides, and
assailed the door of the cave with inquiries concerning the cause of his
cries and groans. But as his only reply was, "Noman has injured me," they
concluded that he had been playing them a trick, and therefore abandoned
him to his fate.

The blinded giant now groped vainly round his cave in hopes of laying hands
on some of his tormentors; but wearied at length of these fruitless
exertions he rolled away the rock which closed the aperture, thinking that
his victims would rush out with the sheep, when it would {310} be an easy
matter to capture them. But in the meantime Odysseus had not been idle, and
the subtlety of the hero was now brought into play, and proved more than a
match for the giant's strength. The sheep were very large, and Odysseus,
with bands of willow taken from the bed of Polyphemus, had cleverly linked
them together three abreast, and under each centre one had secured one of
his comrades. After providing for the safety of his companions, Odysseus
himself selected the finest ram of the flock, and, by clinging to the wool
of the animal, made his escape. As the sheep passed out of the cave the
giant felt carefully among them for his victims, but not finding them on
the backs of the animals he let them pass, and thus they all escaped.

They now hastened on board their vessel, and Odysseus, thinking himself at
a safe distance, shouted out his real name and mockingly defied the giant;
whereupon Polyphemus seized a huge rock, and, following the direction of
the voice, hurled it towards the ship, which narrowly escaped destruction.
He then called upon his father Poseidon to avenge him, entreating him to
curse Odysseus with a long and tedious voyage, to destro