"Look to it yourself, father,"
answered Telemakhos, "for they say you are the wisest counselor in
the world, and that there is no other mortal man who can compare with
you. We will follow you with right good will, nor shall you find us
fail you in so far as our strength holds out."
"I will say what I think will be
best," answered Odysseus. "First wash and put your shirts on; tell
the maids also to go to their own room and dress; Phemios shall then
strike up a dance tune on his lyre, so that if people outside hear,
or any of the neighbors, or some one going along the street happens
to notice it, they may think there is a wedding in the house, and no
rumors [kleos] about the death of the suitors will get
about in the town, before we can escape to the woods upon my own
land. Once there, we will settle which of the courses of action
[kerdos] heaven grants us shall seem
wisest."
Thus did he speak, and they did
even as he had said. First they washed and put their shirts on, while
the women got ready. Then Phemios took his lyre and set them all
longing for sweet song and stately dance. The house re-echoed with
the sound of men and women dancing, and the people outside said, "I
suppose the queen has been getting married at last. She ought to be
ashamed of herself for not continuing to protect her husband's
property until he comes home."
This was what they said, but they
did not know what it was that had been happening. The upper servant
Eurynome washed and anointed Odysseus in his own house and gave him a
shirt and cloak, while Athena made him look taller and stronger than
before; she also made the hair grow thick on the top of his head, and
flow down in curls like hyacinth blossoms; she shed kharis
about his head and shoulders just as a skillful workman who has
studied art of all kinds under Hephaistos or Athena - and his work is
full of kharis - enriches a piece of silver plate by gilding
it. He came from the bath looking like one of the immortals, and sat
down opposite his wife on the seat he had left. "My dear," said he,
"heaven has endowed you with a heart more unyielding than woman ever
yet had. No other woman could bear to keep away from her husband when
he had come back to her after twenty years of absence, and after
having gone through so much. But come, nurse, get a bed ready for me;
I will sleep alone, for this woman has a heart as hard as
iron."
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