The Lotus Eaters were nice to Ulysses and his crew and were even nice enough to give them their food that they ate, Lotus Herbs. Now the Lotus Herbs make you want to stay on that island forever and ever and ever. Ulysses had a hard time dragging his crew away; he even had to tie them to their benches to row!

       The next island they went to was an island with a Cyclops on it, and the Cyclops asked them who they were, and where they came from, when they had answered that they were Greeks and that they had just finished the conquest of Troy, and that they were going home, he then finished with saying that they were loyal to the gods. The Cyclops then thought a little bit and then snatched up two of Ulysses’ friends and smashed them against the wall and smashed their brains out and ate them. He picked up the others, (Including Ulysses) and brought them inside his house. The next day he did the same he ate up two more of Ulysses’ friends after he smashed two poor men’s brains out. Next the Cyclops went to sleep; Ulysses went up to him and pierced his sword through his enemy’s
eye.

        The Cyclops awoke in anger, but after a while cooled down and started to let his sheep out. Then Ulysses had an idea, the Cyclops was feeling the backs and the sides to make sure they didn’t go out, he didn’t even think of their bellies. So they got out on the sheep’s bellies, Ulysses went last. They reached the ship and rowed away, when they had gone a little way, Ulysses called out to the Cyclops, the Cyclops turned and hurled a rock toward where the voice was coming from. The mass landed a few feet beside them and pushed them toward land, Ulysses wanted to tell the giant he had missed, but agreed to go a safe distance away before doing so.

       Next they went to the Island of Æolus. To this Monarch Jupiter had intrusted the government of the winds, to send them forth or retain them at will. He treated Ulysses well and when he left, he gave him a bag, tied up in a silver string, such winds that would be hurtful, and commanded fair winds to help him back to Greece. So Ulysses stood at the helm of the ship nine days and then he was so tired that he slept the tenth. Now the crew suspected that the bag contained precious treasures given by the good Æolus, and tempted to secure a portion for themselves, they untied the string, and all the hurtful winds came and blew them off course and they had to row back to Greece.