"I wish it may prove so,"
answered Telemakhos. "If it does, I will show you so much good will
and give you so many presents that all who meet you will congratulate
you."
Then he said to his friend
Peiraios, "Peiraios, son of Klytios, you have throughout shown
yourself the most willing to serve me of all those who have
accompanied me to Pylos; I wish you would take this stranger to your
own house and entertain him hospitably till I can come for
him."
And Peiraios answered,
"Telemakhos, you may stay away as long as you please, but I will look
after him for you, and he shall find no lack of
hospitality."
As he spoke he went on board, and
bade the others do so also and loose the hawsers, so they took their
places in the ship. But Telemakhos bound on his sandals, and took a
long and doughty spear with a head of sharpened bronze from the deck
of the ship. Then they loosed the hawsers, thrust the ship off from
land, and made on towards the city as they had been told to do, while
Telemakhos strode on as fast as he could, till he reached the
homestead where his countless herds of swine were feeding, and where
dwelt the excellent swineherd, who was so devoted a servant to his
master.
Homer. The Odyssey. Rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original. Samuel Butler. Based on public domain edition, revised by Timothy Power and Gregory Nagy. A. C. Fifield, London. 1900 (?).
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