The Odyssey - Penguin Young Readers

 

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Odyssey

 

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STORIES FROM

THE TH E

ODYSSEY Level 3 Fiona Beddall Series Editor: Melanie Williams

 

Contents T h e Cycl Cyclop opss T h e Sire Sirens ns Scyllaa and Charyb Scyll Cha rybdis dis H ome om e at last ast

page 4 14 21 30

 

The Cyclops The long wa warr was over and Odysse Odysseus us was going ho hom me. The journey was very difficult. After many days at sea, he and his m men en stopped for the n niight on a an n island. isl and. Tired and hungry, th they ey s saw aw the sm smok oke e from some fires at the top of a cliff. ‘Come ‘Com e on, fr frie iends, nds,’’ said Odysseus Odysseus.. ‘Perhaps the people who lit those fires will be kind to us and give us some food food.. Let’s ta take ke them some wine as a present.’

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They pulled their boat onto the beach and climbed up the cliff. At the top, they found a cave. ‘Hey, ey, look over her here! e!’’ call called ed one one of Odys Od ysse seus us’’s men. en. ‘These cheeses are big big

enough to sit on! If we took one enough one back to the the boat, we’d we’d have have food food for months. months.’’ ‘No,’ said said Odysseus. Odysseus. ‘We don’t don’t nee need d to steal anything. The person who lives here is out with with his sheep sheep.. I’m sure he’ll he’ll be be happy happy to help us when he comes home.’ 5  

The sheep’s cries grew

louder while the men waited in the cave. They heard footsteps, and a strange str ange man man came came in. in. He was ta tallller er than the the walls of a great city, and had just one eye in his his head. The men moved moved to the back back of the cave, afraid. They watched as he pushed a big big stone stone across the the mouth mouth of the cave. Then he he turned urned and looked looked at them. them.  

‘Visitors! What a lovely surprise!’ he cried. ‘I’m a Cycl Cyclops, ops, so son n of the se seaa-g god P Poseidon. oseidon. Tell me, who are you?’ ‘We’re Greeks, saili sailing ng h hom ome e from the war ars, s,’’ answered answe red Odysseus. ‘We ‘We ne need ed food for our journey and hope hope you can he help lp us us..’ ‘Food, eh? Yes, your men will make a tasty supper.’ Laughing, the Cyclops took two of Odysseus’s friends in his gre great at hands. He at ate e them sl slowl owly y in fr front ont o off the fire, fir e, then lay dow down n to to slee sleep. p.

 

The Greeks were ang The ngrry an and d scared. Odysseus took the knif knife e from his belt and stood over the sleeping Cyclops. ‘You h ‘You have ave destroyed my friends. No Now w iitt’s m my y turn to destroy yo you u!’ h he e sa said. id. Then he he rem remem embered bered the big st stone one acr across oss the mouth o off the cav cave. e. He and his his m men en were not strong enough to move it. Without the Cyclops, they could not not ge gett out of the cave. Odysseus Odyss eus put h his is knife down and tr tried ied to to slee sleep. p.

 

When morning came, the Cyclops ate at e tw two om more ore men for bre breakf akfast ast.. Then he sh went the fields with wit h his sheep eep..out Heto p put ut tthe he b big ig stone back across the mouth of

the cave as he went. Odysseus looked round the cave and foun found d a long long,, thi thick ck sti stick. ck. He used use d his his kni knife fe tto om make ake a point at the end. Then he he p put ut tthe he st stic ick k in a dark corner of the cave and waited for the Cyclops to come back.

 

When the Cycl When Cyclops ops cam came eh hom ome, e, Odysseus gave him some wine. ‘Try thi this, s, my fr friiend. It is a present from our boat.’ The Cyclops thought the wine tasted very good. Soon his cup w was as em empty, pty, and Odys Odysse seus us gave ga ve him som some em more ore.. ‘I’d like to give you a presen presentt tto oo,’ sa said id the Cyclops, Cycl ops, ‘but I still don’t know yo your ur name.’ Odysseus thought fast. fast. ‘My na nam me iis s Nobody,’ he answered. ‘The Then, n, No Nobody, body, thi this s is my present tto o you I’ll eat you last.’

 

The Cyc Cycllops drank drank more an and d mo more re wine. Th Then en he fe fellll over and went to sleep. Odysseus got the sti stick. ck. To Togeth gether, er, the Greeks pushe pushed d its point into the Cyclops’ eye and turned it round and round. The Cyclops cried out for help. His friends heard his cries and soon arrived outside the cave. ‘Is anything wrong in there?’ they asked. The Th e Cycl Cyclops ops answered, ‘Nobody is hu hurti rting ng me me. Nobody is trying to destroy me.’ So his friends went away again.

 

The Cyclops Cyclops ha had d onl only y on one e eye, and now h he e could not see se e wit with h iit. t. He was badly hurt and ve very ry angry. In the morning, morning, he moved the st stone one from the mouth mouth of the cave cave so th that at his sh shee eep p could go to the fi fields. elds. He felt along the sheep’s backs a as s the they y went out. He did n not ot want the Greeks to go too. But the Greeks we were re cleverer than the C Cyclops. yclops. They went out of the cave between

 

When they When they were outside, outside, the Greeks took the sheep down to the boat and pushed out to sea. They could see the Cyclops at the top of the cli cliff. ff. Odysseus call called ed to h him im,, ‘It was Odysseus, not Nobody, who destroyed your eye. The gods gods have taug aught ht you you a lesso lesson. n. Be kind to your visitors in future.’ ‘Father!’ the Cyclops cried to Poseidon. ‘Have you seen what Odysseus has done to me? If If you love me me, mak ake e him him sorr sorry y for for thi this.’ s.’ 13  

The Sirens The sea sea-g -god od Poseidon heard the the cries cries of his son, the Cyclops. Cycl ops. He decide decided d to m make ake Ody Odyss sseu eus’ s’s s jo journ urney ey ho hom me very ve ry dif difficul ficult. t. But the o other ther go gods ds lik liked ed Odysse Odysseus. us. The They y taught him about the dangerous monsters that he was going to meet. Odysseus was getting ready for the next part of his  jo  journey. He w wa alked ffa ar iin nto a forest u un ntil he ffo ound s so ome beesw bee swax ax.. and ‘I’ll went n nee eed d this ato ter er! !’ he thoug thought. ht. He took the beeswax backlla the boat.

 

Odysseus’s men were ready to go. The boat was clean, tidy, and full of food and drink. When Odysseus came back from his walk, they all pushed out to sea. There was a good wind. ‘On ‘Only a few more more days, days, and we’ll be home,’ they they said said

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Soon the wind stopped. They took down the sails and started rowing. The  jo  journey wa was sl slower no now, but still they hoped to be home before the end of the week. 15  

Odysseus wished that his men men w were ere right. right. It was time to tell them about the Sirens. ‘Listen, ‘Listen, my friends. We We will soon soon go past the home of the Sirens. Sirens. Perhaps some some of you have heard stori stories es about these strange women. women. When When they they see a boat, tthey hey sing to the the sailors and ask them to come come closer. The songs song s are so beautiful that that the sailors can’t can’t say no no.. B But ut the rocks round their island destroy every boat that

Odysseus gave everyone a little little beeswax. beeswax. ‘Put ‘Put this this in your ears, ears,’’ he said, ‘and ‘and you won’t hear the Sirens’ Sirens’ songs.. But one of us shou songs should ld listen, so that we have stories stori es to tell tell our families when we get home. Rope me me to the boat. If I try try to swim to the Sirens when I hear their songs, just use more rope.’ The men put the beeswax in their ears and roped Odysseus to the boat. Then they started rowing again.

 

When Odysseus an When and dh his is m men en fi first rst saw the three Sirens on their rocky island, they thought they looked very beautiful. beautif ul. They h had ad long, fa fair ir hai hairr an and d pretty, sm smili iling ng faces. Whe When n tthe he boat boat got clos closer er to the island, tthe he men could not believe their eyes. They saw that the Sirens had women’ women’s s heads and arms, but th the e wi wings ngs,, legs and feet of great birds! The Sirens called tto o the sailors, an and d

 

Only Odysseus could Onl could hear the Sirens Sirens’’ song song.. While While his men rowed on wit with h beesw beeswax ax in their their ears, the music music worked its magic magic on Odysse Odysseus. us. To Odysseus, Odysseus, it was the the most beautiful beautiful sound sound in the w worl orld. d. In their their song, the Sirens asked h Sirens him im to come come to them them.. He told told his friends friends to turn the boat round. They could not hear him and

rowed on on as as before. before. He tried to to jum jump off off the boat, but but the rope was too strong for him. 19  

‘The Sirens ‘The Sirens nee need d us!’ us!’ cried Odysseus. Odysseus. ‘Th ‘They’re calling calling us. Turn Turn the boat round, I say!’ Bu Butt the the men put more more rope round him and rrowed owed on as before. before. Soon the Sirens were far behind. The men cut Odysseus’s ropes and took the beeswax out of their ears. ‘Did you see all those bod bodies ies and broken broken b boats oats on the roc rocks? ks?’ they asked asked.. ‘And And what a terrible smell!’ smell!’ ‘I don’t remem remembe berr the smell, smell,’’ said said Odysseus. Odysseus. ‘But But I’ll never forget that music ...’

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Scylla and Charybdis Odysseus knew that that the mos mostt dangerous dangerous part of their their  j  jo ourney wa was st still in in front of of th them. He to told hi his men /   about the se seaa-m monster, ster, Charybd Charybdis is.. Three times times a / \ day, day, she she sucked in water, water, pull pulling ing down boats f j  \ and men to the botto bottom m of the sea in a f f r J   \\ terrible terrible whirlpoo whirlpool. l. Th Three ree times times a day, / / / / / \S she threw the water back back up, and and ( \\ bits of boats boats and and bodies rained rained ly f f /   j VK\ down on the cli cliffs. ffs. She /% i  i \ y\

destroyed everything that that went went near her.

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‘Listen carefully,’ carefully,’ said Odysseus. Odysseus. ‘We must must stay close to the cliffs on the right and row as hard as we can. If I f we don’t, we won’t live to see another day.’ Odysseus decided to say nothing about Scylla Scy lla,, the six-heade six-headed d monster who lived in the cliffs on the right. right. If his men knew about Scylla, Scyll a, they would not stay far far enou enough gh from Charybdis. They would stop rowing and  j  ju ump iin nto th the e wa water ter, and and Ch Chary arybdis would destroy them all.

 

When they came to the cliffs, Charybdis was sucking in water. The whirlpool pulled Odysseu Odys seus’s s’s boat nearer. The m men en rowed as hard as they could, trying to get to the cliffs on the right. Three times Charybdis pulled them back; three times the rowers showed that they were stronger than the whirlpool. At last, they got to the cliffs on the right. They thought the worst was over. over. O Only nly Odysseus was looking at the cave in the cliff above them.

Scylla’s six long necks were coming out of the cave. Before Bef ore they they knew it, six of Odyss Odysseu eus’s s’s men were were in the horrible monster’s mouths. She carried them up to her cave cave and at ate e them quickly. quickly. Then she she came came back bac k down for for more. more. The men on the boat boat were rowing as hard as they bu Scylla’s he head ads s were coming closer andcould, closer but ... t Sc No. The The boat boat was too fast for for h he er. Stil Stilll hungry, hungry, she sh e went back inside her cave. cave. 24  

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The men were ti tired, red, and th they ey were ang angry ry with Odysseus. Odysseu ‘W ‘Wh hasked. y didn’t y you ou tell u us s about Scylla?’s.they ‘She wasn’t as dangerous as Charybdis,’ he answ answered. ered. ‘It’s terri terrible ble that w we e’ve lo lost st s six ix more of our fri friends ends.. Bu Butt y you ou should b be e happy that Charybdis didn’t suck us all to the bottom of the sea.’ They saw an isl island. and. Ody Odysse sseus us ttold old his men not to stop there, bu butt tthey hey didn’t lilisten sten.. Soon they were all asleep on the beach.

 

In the morning, Odys Odysse seus us woke up his men men with with bad new news: s: ‘If w we e sa sailil today, the w wind ind will take u us s back to Scylla and Charybdis. We must wait here forr a dif fo differ ferent ent wind. Bu Butt re rem membe ember, r, if you want to se see e your your fam famili ilies es again, don’t ttouch ouch the cow cows s on this isl island and.. They are the Sun Sun-go -god’s, d’s, and he’ he’llll beThey angry ifed youffor them.’ waited wait orhurt a diff different erent wind wind,, day af afte terr d day ay,, week after week. Soon there was no more foo food. d. 26  

The men The men grew tthinner hinner and thinn thinner, er, hungri hungrier er an and d hung hu ngrier. rier. One da day, y, wh whilile e Odysseus was asleep, they caught the cows and ate some for supper. It felt so good to have food in their stomachs! When Whe n Odysse Odysseus us woke u up p and saw the meat, meat, he putt his fac pu face e in his h hand ands. s. ‘My poor poor,, sil silly ly fr friiend ends, s,’’ he said sa sadly, dly, The Su Sunn-go god d won’t fforget orget th thiis. s.’’ When a west wind arrived and they left the island isl and,, Poseidon and the S Sun un-g -god od were wat watch chiing ... ...

 

Soon a terrible storm started. Lightning hit the boat as it sailed sailed on on the stormy waters. One after after the other, the the men fell fell in into to the sea, sea, until only only Odysseus

Odysseus waited on the tree while Charybdis sucked in. His arms were getting very tired and he knew that he could not stay stay there much lo longer. nger. Bu Butt just as he fell, Charybdis stopped sucking and the sea was flat again.

was left. He saw the cliffs of Scylla and Charybdis getting nearer near er and nearer. The boat thr threw ew him into the air, and his hands caught a tree growing from the cliff. From there, he watched Charybdis suck the boat and his friends down down hungrily hungrily into

Odysseus started swimming. Hours later later he came to a beach. He fell onto onto the sand, crying cryi ng tto o the gods, ‘‘You’ve You’ve taken all m my y friends from me, but you can’t can’t dest destroy roy me so e easily. asily. One day II’ll ’ll see my home again.’

her whirlpool.

 

Home at last Seven years later, aft after many more problem problems s at sea, Odysseus arrived home. His palace was full of men who wanted to marry his wife, Penelop Penelope. e. ‘Nobo Nobody dy’s ’s see seen Odysseus Odysseus for yea years, rs,’ they th ey told he her. ‘He’ll never com come e home. home.’’ ‘I’ll choose choose a new husban husband d when when I’ve finishe finished d making making this bl blanket anket,,’ she she said. She made made sure that hat she never fi finished nished it. She did not want a new husband. She wanted Odysseus. At last he was home home and she she was happy. happy.

 

Activities Before you read

1. Look through the book and answer the questions: (a) Wha What national nationality ity was Odysseus? (b) Can you find his coun countr try y on a map? (c) Is it a stor story y about about peop people le toda today y or a long long tim time e ago? ago? (d) Odysseus Odysseus and his his men are going acros across s the sea by boat. What dangers are there sometimes at sea? (e) How How many men can you see on pages 4, 16-17 16-17,, 26 and and 29 29? Wh Why do you think think there are fewer men each time? After you read 2. (a) Matc Match h the words words with the pictures.

(i)

a knife

(ii) a stick (iii (iii)) some rope

(iv) (iv) some wine (v)) some (v some beeswax (vi) a tree

2. (b) How did Odysseus use these things things?? 31  

3. Put these words into the right square.

beach beach island is land

bleg ee neck bird

cave sheep sheep

Places

cli clstomach cow cow stiff omach

Animals

Body parts

 /

 

Chants Chant1 Chant 1

Chant 2

The Cyclops drank some wine The Cyclops' cup is empty Who gave the Cyclops some wine? Nobody did - that's who!

Can you hear the Sirens' song? It's beautiful, it's beautiful Can you hear the Siren singing? They're beautiful So beautiful

Is anything wrong in there? Nobody is hurting me! Trying to destroy me! It It's 's nobody - that's wh who! o!

Can you see the bodies? Can you see the broken bones? A terrible smell It's terrible

The Cyclops drank some wine The Cyclops cup is empty Who gave the Cyclops some wine? Nobody did - that's who!

Can you hear the Sirens singing It's beautiful So beautiful

Chant 3

Chant 4

Row as hard as you can, my men

Penelope waits

Row as hard as you can We must stay close To the cliffs on the right And row as hard as we can The whirlpool will destroy us all Row as hard as you can Charybdis is sucking in water Row as hard as you can, my men

Penelope waits She's making a blanket She won't finish it She's waiting for Odysseus She's waiting for her husband Penelope waits Penelope waits

Row as hard as you can, my men Row as hard as you can We must stay close To the cliffs on the right And row as hard as we can

 

Stad St adtb tbib iblio lioth thek ek Berli lin n - Mit itte te N 1 1 < 0 6 4 9 8 7 6 2 4 5 6

uniiiiiiiiiiii r * . ' Philipp-Schaeffer-Bibl. (4 56 )

i nree exciting adventures from the   classic stories by Homer.   Od ysseus m eets the t he Cyclops, the Sirens Sir ens   and Scylla and Charybdis.

Penguin Young Readers are simplified texts to support children learning English. Each book has activities and there are Factsheets with Teacher’s and Parent’s Notes. The Factsheets are also available on L e v e l 3 titles are wri writte tten n fr from om a 10 1000 00-w -wor ord d word wordlist list an and d are suit suitab able le for fo r stude students nts who have already studied 200-300 hours of English. Series Editor : Melanie Melanie W illiams   Serie s created by Ann ie Hughes and and Melanie Melanie W illiams

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