At last he saw the mouth of a river.  He swam towards it until he felt its stream flowing through the water of the sea.  Then in his heart he prayed to the river.  ‘Hear me, O River,’ was what he said, ’I am come to thee as a suppliant, fleeing from the anger of Poseidon, god of the sea.  Even by the gods is the man pitied who comes to them as a wanderer and a hapless man.  I am thy suppliant, O River; pity me and help me in my need.’

Now the river water was smooth for his swimming, and he came safely to its mouth.  He came to a place where he might land, but with his flesh swollen and streams of salt water gushing from his mouth and nostrils.  He lay on the ground without breath or speech, swooning with the terrible weariness that was upon him.  But in a while his breath came back to him and his courage rose.  He remembered the veil that the Sea-nymph had given him and he loosened it and let it fall back into the flowing river.  A wave came and bore it back to Ino who caught it in her hands.

But Odysseus was still fearful, and he said in his heart, ’Ah me! what is to befall me now?  Here am I, naked and forlorn, and I know not amongst what people I am come.  And what shall I do with myself when night comes on?  If I lie by the river in the frost and dew I may perish of the cold.  And if I climb up yonder to the woods and seek refuge in the thickets I may become the prey of wild beasts.’

He went from the cold of the river up to the woods, and he found two olive trees growing side by side, twining together so that they made a shelter against the winds.  He went and lay between them upon a bed of leaves, and with leaves he covered himself over.  There in that shelter, and with that warmth he lay, and sleep came on him, and at last he rested from perils and toils.

II

And while he rested the goddess, Pallas Athene, went to the City of the Phaeacians, to whose land Odysseus had now come.

She came to the Palace of the King, and, passing through all the doors, came to the chamber where the King’s daughter, Nausicaa slept.  She entered into Nausicaa’s dream, appearing to her in it as one of her girl-comrades.  And in the dream she spoke to the Princess: 

‘Nausicaa,’ she said, ’the garments of your household are all uncared for, and the time is near when, more than ever, you have need to have much and beautiful raiment.  Your marriage day will be soon.  You will have to have many garments ready by that time—­garments to bring with you to your husband’s house, and garments to give to those who will attend you at your wedding.  There is much to be done, Nausicaa.  Be ready at the break of day, and take your maidens with you, and bring the garments of your household to the river to be washed.  I will be your mate in the toil.  Beg your father to give you a wagon with mules to carry all the garments that we have need to wash.’