Of this he cut off a fathom's length,
and his comrades sharpened it and hardened it in the fire, and then hid
it away. At evening the giant came back, and drove his sheep into the
cave, nor left the rams outside, as he had been wont to do before, but
shut them in. And having duly done his shepherd's work, he made his
cruel feast as before. Then Ulysses came forward with the wine skin in
his hand, and said:
"Drink, Cyclops, now that thou hast feasted. Drink, and see what
precious things we had in our ship. But no one hereafter will come to
thee with such like, if thou dealest with strangers as cruelly as thou
hast dealt with us."
Then the Cyclops drank, and was mightily pleased, and said, "Give me
again to drink, and tell me thy name, stranger, and I will give thee a
gift such as a host should give. In good truth this is a rare liquor.
We, too, have vines, but they bear not wine like this, which indeed must
be such as the gods drink in heaven."
Then Ulysses gave him the cup again, and he drank. Thrice he gave it to
him, and thrice he drank, not knowing what it was, and how it would work
within his brain.
Then Ulysses spake to him. "Thou didst ask my name, Cyclops. Lo! my name
is No Man. And now that thou knowest my name, thou shouldst give me thy
gift."
And he said, "My gift shall be that I will eat thee last of all thy
company.
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