10 Odysseus and Telemachus Meet Again

CHAPTER 10 Odysseus and Telemachus Meet Again Telemachus arrived back in Ithaca safely thanks to Athena's advice. He sent his crew back to town. As Athena had ordered, Telemachus went to visit the swineherd, Eumaeus. Eumaeus's dogs spotted Telemachus. The dogs ran to him, yipping happily as if they were puppies. They remembered the young Telemachus. Eumaeus saw his young master and kissed

his forehead. He wept for joy. It was as if Telemachus were his own son returning from a long journey. "Tell me, old friend," Telemachus asked quickly. "How is my mother?" "She is still at the house," replied Eumaeus. "She still cries day and night over your father." Telemachus entered the house. Odysseus, still in disguise, rose to give the young man his seat. Telemachus stopped him. "Sit down, stranger," he said, politely. "I can sit on the floor." Odysseus was proud of his handsome son. He was pleased with the way his son treated a poor stranger. Telemachus sat on the floor. The three men had breakfast together. "Stranger," Telemachus said to Odysseus, "I would like to take you to my home. I will give you some good clothes, sandals, and a

sword. My mother and I will certainly feed you a good meal. I am still young and could fight back if the suitors attacked me. But I could not protect you, if the suitors were to attack you." Odysseus listened patiently. "If I were young," he told his son gently, "and the son of the noble Odysseus, I would show my strength. You should march straight to your home and make those suitors regret they ever entered it!" Telemachus nodded, moved by the stranger's words. He asked Eumaeus to go to Penelope's house. The swineherd was to tell her privately that Telemachus had returned home safely. After Eumaeus left, Athena whispered to Odysseus that it was now time to reveal himself to his son. She touched Odysseus with her golden wand and changed him back

to his normal self. His handsome and youthful look returned. Telemachus's eyes grew wide. "I don't understand," he said. "Who are you? How did you suddenly change? Are you a god?" "I am your father," Odysseus said, "for whom you have suffered for many years." He looked upon Telemachus with a tear in his eye. It took a few moments for Telemachus to believe this was his father. He was overcome by sadness and joy, all at once. Soon the great distance he felt toward his father disappeared. It was as if twenty years had not separated them. Telemachus ran to Odysseus and hugged him tightly. He cried as if he were a young boy again. Odysseus lifted his son into the air and laughed. "Father!" Telemachus shouted. "I have waited ages to see you again. I thought you

would never come home. You must have so many stories to tell Mother and me." He smiled. "I cannot wait to hear all of them!" Odysseus cleared his throat. "My son," he said, "this will all happen in good time. We will have years to get to know each other again. But you must know there is business to be done. You and I must punish the suitors who have troubled your mother. Together we must take back our home." "But we are only two men," Telemachus replied. "I know Athena and Zeus will help us," Odysseus told him. "They helped me during my long journey home. The fair gods are on our side. Now go back home without me. Slip in quietly if you can. When you see the suitors, behave just as you did before. Later, I will come to the house disguised again as a beggar. When the suitors mistreat me, be

strong. Try not to lose your temper. But try to convince them to be kinder to me. They will get what they deserve in the end. "Then," Odysseus continued, "collect all the armor and weapons in the house. Hide them in the storage room. But leave a sword and set of armor for each of us. We will need them for the fight. When I nod, it will be our secret signal. That is when we fight. I will set up everything else in the meantime. "Most importantly," Odysseus said, "tell no one that I am back—not even your mother." Telemachus had tried his best to return to Ithaca quietly. But the entire household heard of Telemachus's safe arrival. Penelope did not believe it. She needed to see her son to know he was still alive and well. The suitors were shocked and angry to