Merugud Uilix maicc Leirtis

A FTER the capture and destruction of the chief “ town of the Trojans and the adventures of the Greeks, every one of these reached his own native land and country. Then Ulixes, the son of Laertes, also reached his land and country, and saw the mountains of his native land before him. “It is a grievous thing to us what we shall find there — viz., the beautiful, gentle queen whom we left there, with another man before our face, and another king over our territory, and our land in his possession, and old age on our own form, though it is we by right.” “Do not let this oppress thee,” said his men to Ulixes, ** for we shall all find the same evil.” Then a storm fell upon them, and they were again driven out into the wet of the open sea, and were thus astray for a year, until they came to a large island. And they found great big woolly sheep, and Uilled three of them. And they put up. their tents over them^and placed their fires and prepared their sheep. Three days and three nights they were there. After that Ulixes spolce. ** It is time for us to be starting,” said he. — “It is not just what thou sayest,” said they, “for here we have our fill of food to the day of judgment, in what there is here of sheep.”— “This,” he said, “I shall not do for your sake, to give up seeking to reach our native land.” — “What thou art seeking,” said they, “is that we may all perish in thy track, as all thy people were left before this.*’ Then they left the island, and went again in their ships, and were a year on the sea, until they reached another island. When they had gone on that island, they found a mountain of gold in its midst “This is a good find,” said his men to Ulixes. “How do yé know that?” said he. “Did ye not get enough treasures out of Troy?” And they began to gather in the gold until they saw the Cyclops coming towards them. And he did not ask tidings of them, but as they were there, so he went among them. Where there was a hero or a battle-soldier he closed his arms around them, and broke and minced their bones and their flesh. Then aíler having killed a great number of them, he lifted up nine of-them between his two arms, together with Ulixes, the son of Laertes. Now when Ulixes, the cunning right clever man, perceived that he was being carried oíT by force, he escaped between the elbows of his men down to the ground, and his men were carried away from him. Then he went to the ships, and related those tidíngs to the nine that were in the ships. And his people said to him: “Let us put plenty of treasures in our vessels and proceed on our way.” — ** Not so,” said he, “until it is found out how my men are taken from me; and it is sad and sore to me that they are carried oíF from me.” — “Though it is sad,” said they, “do not say so, for we deem it a sufficient honour that thou art among us.” Then Ulixes went to seek the big man; and he came to the door of the cave. There he saw the white-faced sad countenacces of his men in the cave Ieoking out at him. “Comrades,” said he, “grcat is the danger in which ye are.” — “Thou art right,” said they, “and thou thyself wilt be out of it” — “Not so,” said he; “not before I and the giant have met” — “What dost thou think?” said they. *’ What means hast thou to use against him? Thy spear is not so sharp nor thy arm so strong that the point of thy spear could touch a bone in his body.” — “Can ye try to rise over him from behind?” said he. — “Alas!” said they, “there are three paces of each man of us between his two nipples.” ‘* How do ye know,” said he, “that the barbarous nature that is in his body may not be a heaviness which is easy to overcome when his body is asleep?. Rise over him from behind,” said he, “and raise your breaths in the top of your breast to lighten yourselves.” They arose and went out over him, and there were three paces of every man of them between his two nipples as they stepped over him. “Now let us go” said they.^^’Not so,” said he, “not until I and the giant have met” He went up to him, and into the one big eye that was in the front part of his forehead he put the point of his spear, between the two brows, and gave a thrust to the spear in his eye. And he had a difficult task to save himself from the broad and large loch of water that burst from it. However, the mountain shook and the cave resounded with the beating which the huge gigantic man made with his feet and his arms, as he sought for him who had done that outrage on him. And thereupon they went into their ship.