A place was levelled for the dance, and the blind minstrel, Demodocus, took the lyre in his hands and made music, while youths skilled in the dance struck the ground with their feet.  Odysseus as he watched them marvelled at their grace and their spirit.  When the dance was ended he said to the King, ’My Lord Alcinous, thou didst boast thy dancers to be the best in the world, and thy word is not to be denied.  I wonder as I look upon them.’

At the end of the day Alcinous spoke to his people and said, ’This stranger, in all that he does and says, shows himself to be a wise and a mighty man.  Let each of us now give him the stranger’s gift.  Here there are twelve princes of the Phaeacians and I am the thirteenth.  Let each of us give him a worthy gift, and then let us go back to my house and sit down to supper.  As for Euryalus, let him make amends to the stranger for his rudeness of speech as he offers him his gift.’

All assented to the King’s words, and Euryalus went to Odysseus and said, ’Stranger, if I have spoken aught that offended thee, may the storm winds snatch it and bear it away.  May the gods grant that thou shalt see thy wife and come to thine own country.  Too long hast thou endured afflictions away from thy friends.’

So saying, Euryalus gave Odysseus a sword of bronze with a silver hilt and a sheath of ivory.  Odysseus took it and said, ’And to you, my friend, may the gods grant all happiness, and mayst thou never miss the sword that thou hast given me.  Thy gracious speech hath made full amends.’

Each of the twelve princes gave gifts to Odysseus, and the gifts were brought to the palace and left by the side of the Queen.  And Arete herself gave Odysseus a beautiful coffer with raiment and gold in it, and Alcinous, the King, gave him a beautiful cup, all of gold.

In the palace the bath was prepared for Odysseus, and he entered it and was glad of the warm water, for not since he had left the Island of Calypso did he have a warm bath.  He came from the bath and put on the beautiful raiment that had been given him and he walked through the hall, looking a king amongst men.

[Illustration]

Now the maiden, Nausicaa, stood by a pillar as he passed, and she knew that she had never looked upon a man who was more splendid.  She had thought that the stranger whom she had saved would have stayed in her father’s house, and that one day he would be her husband.  But now she knew that by no means would he abide in the land of the Phaeacians.  As he passed by, she spoke to him and said, ’Farewell, O Stranger!  And when thou art in thine own country, think sometimes of me, Nausicaa, who helped thee.’  Odysseus took her hand and said to her, ’Farewell, daughter of King Alcinous!  May Zeus grant that I may return to my own land.  There every day shall I pay homage to my memory of thee, to whom I owe my life.’