and pray to Zeus for help. And when the giant had ended his foul meal,
he lay down among his sheep and slept.

Then Ulysses questioned much in his heart whether he should slay the
monster as he slept, for he doubted not that his good sword would pierce
to the giant's heart, mighty as he was. But, being very wise, he
remembered that, should he slay him, he and his comrades would yet
perish miserably. For who should move away the great rock that lay
against the door of the cave? So they waited till the morning. And the
monster woke and milked his flocks, and afterward, seizing two men,
devoured them for his meal. Then he went to the pastures, but put the
great rock on the mouth of the cave, just as a man puts down the lid
upon his quiver.

All that day the wise Ulysses was thinking what he might best do to save
himself and his companions, and the end of his thinking was this: There
was a mighty pole in the cave, green wood of an olive tree, big as a
ship's mast, which Polyphemus purposed to use, when the smoke should
have dried it, as a walking staff. Of this he cut off a fathom's length,
and his comrades sharpened it and hardened it in the fire and then hid
it away. At evening the giant came back and drove his sheep into the
cave, nor left the rams outside, as he had been wont to do before, but
shut them in. And having duly done his shepherd's work, he made his
cruel feast as before. Then Ulysses came forward with the wine skin in
his hand and said:

"Drink, Cyclops, now that thou hast feasted. Drink and see what precious
things we had in our ship. But no one hereafter will come to thee with
such like, if thou dealest with strangers as cruelly as thou hast dealt
with us."

Then the Cyclops drank and was mightily pleased, and said, "Give me
again to drink and tell me thy name, stranger, and I will give thee a
gift such as a host should give. In good truth this is a rare liquor.
We, too, have vines, but they bear no wine like this, which indeed must
be such as the gods drink in heaven."

Then Ulysses gave him the cup again and he drank. Thrice he gave it to
him and thrice he drank, not knowing what it was and how it would work
within his brain.

Then Ulysses spake to him. "Thou didst ask my name, Cyclops. Lo! my name
is No Man. And now that thou knowest my name, thou shouldst give me thy
gift."

And he said, "My gift shall be that I will eat thee last of all thy
company."

And as he spake he fell back in a drunk