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In the Cyclops Cave

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We bring you one of the most exciting stories from Homer’s Odyssey with our version of In the Cyclops Cave. Warning: It’s a rather scary story - as it is all about a giant who likes nothing better than to eat people.

Odysseus, the craftiest man alive, is sailing home from the Trojan war. He and his men go ashore and find a cave, with sheep, goats and cheese. They make themselves comfortable, only to find that the cave belongs to a one eyed giant.

You can find our other Greek Myths, including the earlier Trojan stories, here.

Read by Natasha. Duration 20 minutes.

In the Cyclops Cave

After the Greeks destroyed the fabulous city of Troy, they sailed home in their black ships, but not all of them received a warm welcome by any means. When King Agamemnon returned to his place in Argos, his Queen Clytemnestra was far from pleased to see him. You see, before he left for Troy, King Agamemnon had sacrificed the life of their daughter so that the gods would send a fair wind to blow the Greek ships to Troy. Now, Clytemnestra hated her husband more than any man alive - but she pretended to be all smiles and kisses.

“My dear,’” she said, “after your long journey, I’m sure that you’ll want nothing more than a nice hot bath”.

And while Agamemnon was relaxing his weary limbs in the warm, soapy, water, Queen Clytemnestra crept up with a knife, and killed him.

But on the island of Ithaca, a very different Queen, whose name was Penelope, was longing for the safe return of her husband. She had to wait quite a while though. His journey home took him ten long years, and all that time, Penelope was surrounded by men who wanted to marry her and steal her husband’s throne. She said to the suitors, “Gentlemen, I am spinning a magnificent bed spread for my wedding night. First let me finish making it, and then I will say which one of you I shall choose for my new husband.” And every day Penelope worked at her spinning wheel, and every night she unpicked her threads, so that her work was never done. In this way she kept the men waiting - for she was sure that hertrue husband was still alive and would return home safely to her arms.

His name was Odysseus and he was famous all over the world for his quick mind and his cunning tricks. It was Odysseus who had come up with the idea of the wooden horse, which led to the destruction of Troy. But despite all his resourcefulness, he made slow progress home, foe Poseidon the god of the seas was angry with him. The Sea God sent howling winds to blow Odysseus off his course, and fierce storms to buffet his ships. And this is the story of why he was so angry.

Odysseus and his men sailed in their swift boats, their oars turning up white foam on the wine dark sea. One evening they landed on a small island. He and his men hunted down goats for their dinner and that evening they ate roast meat on the beach. In the morning, Odysseus looked across the water to the mainland. He saw a wild country, with wooded maintains wrapped in mist. He decided to go and see what kind of people lived on that land. He told most of his men to wait behind, but he sailed across the water in his own boat with his crew of 20 brave men. On his back he took a skin full of fine wine that had been given to him by a priest of the sun-god, Apollo. He thought it would make a good gift for his hosts, whoever they might be.

When they got ashore, they scrambled up with steep cliffs, and explored the woods. They saw nobody, but high up on the mountain they discovered a vast cave. Inside they found lambs and goat kids living in pens, and on the ground were piles of round cheeses and barrels full of milk. The men were all for stealing the cheese and a few lambs, and taking them back to the ship as fast as possible. But Odysseus commanded them to sit down and wait for the owner of the cave - for he was sure he would be a rich man, and generous travellers, according to the laws of the gods. So they waited until evening, and in the meantime they lit a fire, and helped themselves to the cheese and milk.

Towards sunset, they heard the tinkling of sheep bells, and they knew that the owner of the cave was driving his flocks back home. First the sheep came running into the cave, and then they were followed by a giant who had to stoop to enter through the door. He had one eye in the middle of his forehead, as do all those who belong to the race of the cyclops.

The Cyclops was astonished to find a band of men making themselves comfy in his cave and eating his cheese. He blinked with his one eye and asked in a terrible voice:

“And who might you be?”

Odysseus replied: “We are Greeks on our way back from the glorious war in Troy. Lord Zeus, the king of all the gods is our protector, and according to his laws you must treat us kindly, provide us with gifts, and send us safely on our way.”

Instead of replying, the Cyclops went to the door of the cave and rolled a great stone into the opening so that the exist was blocked. Now the only light in the cave was from the fire lit by Odysseus and his men.

“What care I for the laws of Zeus,?” said the Cyclops. “I am strong and besides, I am protected by Poseidon, the god of the seas and of earthquakes too, for he is my father.”

Odysseus and his men retreated into the dark corners of the cave, but the Cyclops could see the in the dark with his one eye, for it glowed as bright as the fire.

“Don’t talk to me of laws” said the Cyclops. “I know your type. You are scoundrels who sail the wine dark seas, raiding the people who live on their shores, killing and burning and plundering whatever takes your fancy. In fact, you are lawless pirates, that’s who you are!”

And with that he grabbed up two of the men and stuffed them into his mouth. “Hmm,’ he said. “Nice dinner.”

The Greeks threw up their hands and wailed: “Oh Lord Zeus save us from this horrific monster!” but the Cyclops just chuckled to himself and lay down to sleep by the fire.

Odysseus drew his sword and was tempted to drive it into the heart of the giant while he slept, but then he thought: “If I kill the Cyclops, revenge will be sweet, but I will also be sending us to our own doom, for we shall never remove that great bolder from the door of the cave. Not twenty horses could pull that rock away. We shall surely remain here till we die.”

And so he and his men lay down and wept for their lost friends, while Odysseus wracked his brains for a better way to avenge them.

In the morning, the Cyclops awoke and ate two more of Odysseus men for breakfast. Then he led his sheep out to the pasture, being careful to roll the rock into the mouth of the cave after him.

The Cyclops had left behind him a great walking stick, of the sort that Shepard’s use to climb over the mountains. This gave Odysseus an idea. He ordered his men to look for sharp pieces of flint in the back of the cave. They took these and used them to sharpen end of the stick into a cruel point. Next Odysseus told his men to pick up the stick and harden the point in the fire.

That evening when the Cyclops returned, the men trembled with fear, not knowing which ones of them the Cyclops would eat for dinner that night.

But Odysseus wished the giant good evening saying: “My dear Cyclops. Let us not be enemies. See hear, I have a gift for you of the finest wine. It was given to me by priest of Apollo who wanted to thank me for saving his life, for you see I a man who respects all that is sacred. He keeps this wine in a secret store, and only he and his family know where it is. It tastes no less wonderful than the ambrosia which the gods who live on mount Olympus feast upon. Here, I have a whole skinful for you.”

The Cyclops tried a cup of the wine and he liked it. “For once you speak the truth, oh pirate,” he said. “This wine is indeed the finest I have ever tasted.” and he picked up the skin and guzzled some more wine down.

“Tell me little man” he said, “What is your name?”

“My name,” said Odysseus “is Nobody. That is what I am called by my friends who love me, and my enemies who fear me.”

“Well I am neither your friend, nor do I fear you,” said the Cyclops,”But I shall call you Nobody all the same, if that is how you like to be called. For in truth, you soon will be nobody when I’ve eaten you. But as a reward for your gift of fine wine, I shall not eat you last of all.”

Before he went to bed he ate two more of Odysseus’s men, and finished the entire skin full of wine - enough to put 50 men to sleep - and he fell into a deep slumber on the floor of the cave, snoring like a volcano.

Now that the Cyclops was sound asleep, Odysseus ordered those of his men whom Cyclops had not yet eaten to pick up the great stick that they had sharpened and hardened in the fire. They carried it over their shoulders - for it was as big as the trunk of a young tree - and they drove it into the one and only eye of the Cyclops. The giant let out a terrible scream -and raged around the cave calling for help. The other one-eyed giants who lived near by came running to see what was the cause of this commotion.

“What’s happened to you?” they called from outside the cave.

“Nobody has hurt me,” wailed the Cyclops. “Nobody came into my cave and did this to me.” His words sounded slurred with wine, and the other giants thought that he was having a drunken nightmare. Since he insisted that “nobody” was harming him,’ they all went back to bed.

In the morning, the Cyclops was careful to make sure that Odysseus and his men did not slip out of the cave. As each of his sheep went out, he felt it carefully to check that a man was not riding on its back. But he did not know thatOdysseus had ordered his followers to tie the sheep together in threes, and that now they were clinging upside down between the sheep. The last animal to leave the cave was the old ram with curly horns.Odysseus was clinging to his underside. The Cyclops stroked the ram and said, “Cruel Nobody has blinded me, but I shall have my revenge. I shall find him tonight cowering in the corner fo the cave, and I shall eat him for dinner, chewing very slowly.”

When Odysseus and his men were clear of the cave, started to scramble down the cliffs to the beach, taking some of the lambs with them. They pulled their boat out from where it was hidden in the brush wood, and started to row swiftly out to their friends on the island. Up above on the cliffs they saw the Cyclops, standing as tall as an oak tree and bellowing with rage: “Oh Woe is me! Nobody has blinded me in my one eye, and now nobody is escaping across the seas!”

Odysseus stood up in the boat and called out to him: ” Cruel Cyclops. You broke the laws of Zeus by eating my men and now you have your just deserts. Never again shall you see the light of day with that terrible eye of yours!”

His men begged him to sit down in the boat and keep quiet, but he carried on calling out insults to his enemy. In reply the giant picked up a huge rock and hurled it down into the sea. It sent up a great wave that rocked the boat so that it almost turned over. When it was steady, hotted headed Odysseus stood up in the boat again, and despite the pleas of his men he called out,

“Listen here you Monstrous giant. If anyone asks you ask who did this too you, say it was swift witted Odysseus, son of Laertes, sacker of cities. Yes it was none other than Odysseus of Rocky Ithaca ho took the eye of the cruel stupid cyclops.”

And the Cylops sent another bolder flying into the sea. And this sent up another great wave that almost sunk the boat again. Now the Cyclops went down on his knees and prayed to Poseidon,

“Oh great ruler of the seas, mighty lord who makes the earth quake and tremble… dear Poseidon, my father… hear my prayor. I did not think to fear this swift witted Odysseus, son of Laertes, Sacker of Cities. He was such a puny and feeble little man. But please, oh great Sea God, grant me revenge. Send a terrible storm to pick up his ships like toys and fling them back down again so that they smash into smithereens and all his brave men are drowned. Or if it is not permitted to end his life before its time, then make sure he only returns home alone, after many long years of great suffering, and that he finds his land in turmoil, and the echoing halls of his palace full of greedy robbers devouring his wealth. Oh Sea Lord. Hear the prayor of Polyphemus the cylops - for I am your loving son.”

The Sea God Poseidon, heard the prayer of his son, the cruel cyclops, with one blind eye, and that is the reason why Odysseus spent ten long years buffeted by the cruel seas before he reached his home land. One day I will tell you more of his adventures but until then you can find loads of other stories at Storynory.com. We are also in the iTunes podcast directory, in the Kids and Family section.

For now, from me, Natasha, Bye Bye!

xyz

There are many ways in which reading music is an integral part of many music-based careers.

73 Comments

  1. Keiara
    Posted January 15, 2007 at 4:45 am | Permalink

    Hi! Can you tell me where this story came from?

  2. Posted January 15, 2007 at 8:06 am | Permalink

    Hello Keiara,

    The original story of the Cyclops can be found in the Odyssey Book 9 by Homer.

    http://www.bartleby.com/22/9.html

  3. angelica
    Posted February 2, 2007 at 5:20 am | Permalink

    hilarious!!!!!!!!!!

    cool….

    i loved it….

  4. jeny
    Posted February 16, 2007 at 8:59 am | Permalink

    It was very fun.
    But I don’t know what story is it!

  5. mike
    Posted March 25, 2007 at 8:25 pm | Permalink

    WOW this is kinda scary

  6. cherish
    Posted April 5, 2007 at 2:38 am | Permalink

    What do you think of this story, Bertie?

  7. ww
    Posted May 7, 2007 at 2:20 pm | Permalink

    wow

  8. casey
    Posted May 17, 2007 at 1:03 am | Permalink

    its kind of cool how they made a little gist of it,but it is so much better if you read the whole book.

  9. kirsty
    Posted June 7, 2007 at 6:03 pm | Permalink

    great and funny

  10. kkk9
    Posted July 14, 2007 at 10:36 pm | Permalink

    cool i liked it kinda cyclopsis rule

  11. isaac
    Posted August 7, 2007 at 12:29 pm | Permalink

    its kind of cool how they made a little gist of it,but it is so much better if you read the whole book.

  12. kirsty Says:
    Posted August 7, 2007 at 12:30 pm | Permalink

    Do do like this story? You can leave a comment which will appear here. Please sign with just your first name. (See Privacy Policy).

  13. AltaGid
    Posted August 12, 2007 at 12:31 am | Permalink

    Hello! Help solve the problem.
    Very often try to enter the forum, but says that the password is not correct.
    Regrettably use of remembering. Give like to be?
    Thank you!

  14. ani
    Posted October 9, 2007 at 5:23 am | Permalink

    how many men did polyphemus eat

  15. Posted October 9, 2007 at 6:56 am | Permalink

    Ani, I make it 6 men.

  16. Lisa
    Posted October 18, 2007 at 10:16 pm | Permalink

    Very good story for many to learn about…Do you like it???

  17. marie
    Posted October 20, 2007 at 5:28 pm | Permalink

    THIS IS TO LONG

  18. nell
    Posted November 4, 2007 at 8:54 pm | Permalink

    where is the rest of the story…like where his crew dies and he was up on an island and tells the story as he saw it

  19. Posted November 4, 2007 at 9:08 pm | Permalink

    Nell the story continues here…

    http://storynory.com/category/greek-myths/

  20. laura
    Posted November 12, 2007 at 5:50 pm | Permalink

    i read this history in my class is so fun and i have to do an scene

  21. Alexia
    Posted November 14, 2007 at 12:43 am | Permalink

    I can not here the sound that is a problem. My teacher had use watch it I almost fell asleep. Literaly.

  22. Dick
    Posted November 14, 2007 at 12:54 am | Permalink

    This was so boring I fell asleep. Literaly fell asleep. I hope I dont have to whach it again.

  23. cole
    Posted November 23, 2007 at 4:58 pm | Permalink

    .0

  24. Rachel
    Posted December 1, 2007 at 8:11 pm | Permalink

    is therea shorter version

  25. Kate
    Posted December 3, 2007 at 12:09 am | Permalink

    I liked it I’m going to use it for a project

  26. sam
    Posted December 5, 2007 at 8:51 pm | Permalink

    i liked it i’m going to use it for a project

  27. ivan
    Posted December 8, 2007 at 1:54 am | Permalink

    This story is included in BOOK 9 of The Odyssey thus with far more detail and great literature. Full of distinct detail.

  28. kristy
    Posted December 18, 2007 at 1:52 pm | Permalink

    hey

  29. bob satina
    Posted February 13, 2008 at 2:50 am | Permalink

    you rock my socks

  30. RANDOM GUY
    Posted February 22, 2008 at 6:06 pm | Permalink

    THis is brill it realy helped me with my homework

  31. Pinnapple
    Posted February 22, 2008 at 6:12 pm | Permalink

    I aggre with random guy but this is realy to long

  32. Pinnapple
    Posted February 22, 2008 at 6:13 pm | Permalink

    I aggre with random guy

  33. sir john lAs
    Posted March 5, 2008 at 10:13 pm | Permalink

    amazing story

  34. Daniela
    Posted March 7, 2008 at 12:26 am | Permalink

    I liked it

  35. Nathan
    Posted March 8, 2008 at 11:34 am | Permalink

    I think it was really good watching and reading this story.

  36. jonathan
    Posted March 13, 2008 at 9:48 pm | Permalink

    it is cool fun and cooooooooooooooooooooooooool and did y mention cooooooooooooooooooooooooool and fun

  37. alexandra
    Posted March 16, 2008 at 3:37 pm | Permalink

    cool

    do u think it is???????

  38. homer
    Posted March 25, 2008 at 11:25 pm | Permalink

    cool cyclops qre awsome,,,really!

  39. homer
    Posted March 25, 2008 at 11:25 pm | Permalink

    cool cyclops are awsome,,,really!

  40. polyphemus
    Posted March 25, 2008 at 11:28 pm | Permalink

    7:47 PM

  41. 许佳文
    Posted March 29, 2008 at 11:39 am | Permalink

    我不喜欢这个网站

  42. sir john lAs
    Posted March 29, 2008 at 5:32 pm | Permalink

    amazing troop

  43. Woin
    Posted April 4, 2008 at 10:33 pm | Permalink

    i like this story

  44. Nicoly
    Posted April 9, 2008 at 7:10 pm | Permalink

    Hi I’m from Brazill. Eu sou brasilerira

  45. Duke
    Posted April 19, 2008 at 7:04 am | Permalink

    Nobody,what a clever man he is

  46. dylan
    Posted May 15, 2008 at 4:41 pm | Permalink

    Allo i know where u live hahahaha

  47. Emma
    Posted May 15, 2008 at 9:13 pm | Permalink

    they spelled many words wrong and slurred some together!

  48. nobody
    Posted May 15, 2008 at 11:23 pm | Permalink

    i am nobody fear my nobodyness

  49. andrew
    Posted May 15, 2008 at 11:24 pm | Permalink

    you abanded me at outdoorscholl andrew

  50. andrew
    Posted May 15, 2008 at 11:45 pm | Permalink

    so funny

  51. andrew
    Posted May 15, 2008 at 11:57 pm | Permalink

    that wa an awesome story. and natasha is is a realy good story teller.

    for now, from me, alyssa, bye bye

  52. Me
    Posted May 16, 2008 at 12:13 am | Permalink

    to long

  53. Brookel
    Posted May 16, 2008 at 1:17 am | Permalink

    I liked it sooo much. I noticed that that story was in the book Ulysess.

  54. Brookel
    Posted May 16, 2008 at 1:18 am | Permalink

    Hi im here again I think natasha should read faster

  55. Brookel
    Posted May 16, 2008 at 1:18 am | Permalink

    it takes tooooooo long

  56. Rick
    Posted May 16, 2008 at 1:19 am | Permalink

    blllllllllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaablaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbblllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaajjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjdddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooijokjlkjffffffffffffffffffffffffjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

  57. Rick
    Posted May 16, 2008 at 1:20 am | Permalink

    Hahah

  58. Rick
    Posted May 16, 2008 at 1:20 am | Permalink

    THAT WAS HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  59. Rick
    Posted May 16, 2008 at 1:20 am | Permalink

    TOO LONG NATASHA

  60. Rick
    Posted May 16, 2008 at 1:21 am | Permalink

    TOO LONG NATASHA.

  61. Rick
    Posted May 16, 2008 at 1:21 am | Permalink

    UR VOICE NATASHA IS HOT

  62. Rick
    Posted May 16, 2008 at 1:22 am | Permalink

    SPICY LATIE. WANNA GO OUT?

  63. Rick
    Posted May 16, 2008 at 1:23 am | Permalink

    MY NUMBER IS (R-I-C-K-I-S-H-O-T)

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAH
    i LOVE JULIA K

  64. Emily from colina
    Posted May 16, 2008 at 2:07 am | Permalink

    bye bye!

  65. JennyH
    Posted May 16, 2008 at 4:05 am | Permalink

    I read this in a book called Ulysses! Instead of a stick in the cyclope’s eye, it was a sword that he heated in the fire. Instead of Odysseus, it was Ulysses. That was sooo totally awesome! I love you, Natasha! You’re a nice, fluent reader! But not, from me, Jenny, Bye bye!

  66. JennyH
    Posted May 16, 2008 at 4:06 am | Permalink

    I meant ‘now’! Not ‘not’! Oops!

  67. JennyH
    Posted May 16, 2008 at 4:11 am | Permalink

    Hi Bertie! When I first heard Natasha say your name, I thought she meant ‘Birdie’! I laughed. It’s still a cool name! Can you pleas reply? I love you Natasha and Bertie!!!

  68. Reader
    Posted May 16, 2008 at 5:33 am | Permalink

    I love the story.

  69. Posted May 16, 2008 at 9:02 am | Permalink

    Hi JennyH - I wondered who Birdie was .. thanks for letting me know. Thanks ever so much for your comments and really glad you like our stories. By the way, Ulysses is the Latin (Roman) name for Odysseus.

  70. victoria
    Posted May 24, 2008 at 9:19 am | Permalink

    my kids love dat story

  71. victoria
    Posted May 24, 2008 at 9:20 am | Permalink

    i like this story because it is funny

  72. Chutee
    Posted June 23, 2008 at 6:04 pm | Permalink

    Hi Nathasha!1

    I really love this story and your voice..your style and tempo are PERFECT as well.Nothing to say but thank you for tha wonderful story.

    Wating fot the upcoming nice story from you

    P.S. Could you do Jason and the Golden Fleece It wud be great to heat it in your beautiful voice rather read in the Text book

    Thanks a Lot

  73. Posted June 23, 2008 at 6:23 pm | Permalink

    Dear Chutee

    Thanks ever so much for your lovely comments. At some stage will certainly do Jason and the Golden Fleece. Our next myth will be Icarus who flew too close to the sun.

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