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After Nausicaä had mounted to her seat on the cart, she said to Odysseus: "Get ready now, stranger, and we will lead thee to my father's palace, where thou wilt meet the chiefs of the Phæacians. If thou art wise, take well to heart what I shall say to thee. As long as we are at a good distance from the city there is no harm in going along with us. Just follow close to the wagon with my maids.
"But when we come near to the town thou must go more slowly and tarry behind a little, till we have reached my father's hall, because I dread the gossip of the baser sort of people whom we may meet. After thou hast seen us enter the city, then thou mayest enter it also and inquire the way to the king's palace. It is very beautiful. Thou mayest easily find it by thyself, for there is no other house in the city as large as ours.
"Enter at once and find my mother and sue to her for protection and help, that thou mayest reach thy native land and thy dear ones again."
Having spoken these words, Nausicaä touched the mules with her long whip and they quickly left the river, wending their way toward the city. They reached it at sunset, but Odysseus sat down in the sacred grove of Athena, outside of the city to wait, and prayed to the goddess that he might receive pity from the people of Phæacia.
While he prayed, the damsels went on and soon reached the king's palace. Nausicaä's brothers came out and welcomed them, and unhitched the mules. When Odysseus had given them time to get home, he arose and found his way to the town. He had hardly entered it when Athena, in the form of a young girl carrying a pitcher of water, met him.
"My daughter," Odysseus said to her, "canst thou show me the way to the king's palace? I am a stranger, and here for the first time." Athena answered him: "With pleasure, stranger; the king is our neighbor. Follow me, and I will lead thee thither. But on the way do not greet anyone or ask questions, for the people here are not fond of those who come from other lands."
Thus spoke Athena and pursued her way with Odysseus following her. She threw a veil of darkness over the hero to hide him from rude gazers. Odysseus beheld the beautiful port with astonishment—the large ships, the great market-place, and the high walls of the city.
When they reached the palace, the girl stopped and said: "This is the house of the king. Go in without any fear, for they love brave men, even when they come from afar. The first thing to do is to find the queen, whose name is Aretè.
"She is greatly honored by the king, and all the people treat her as if she were a goddess, on account of her gentleness and virtue. In case the queen looks upon thee with favor, thou mayest be sure of safely reaching home."
Having spoken these words, the goddess took a friendly leave of the hero, and he entered the outer hall of Alkinoös, where he was bewildered by the splendor. The walls were of brass, the doors of gold, and the thresholds and lintels of pure silver. On each side of the main entrance gold and silver dogs stood guard. They were endowed with life and were immortal, the work and gift of the divine Hephæstus.
There were two rows of splendid seats in the large dining-hall. They were covered with costly mats, and the Phæacian leaders were wont to sit there and enjoy themselves. Golden statues of boys with lighted torches in their hands stood on beautiful pedestals and spread light over the merry banquets. There were fifty maid-servants in the palace. Some of them were grinding corn in the mill. Some spent their time in spinning and weaving, for as the men were renowned sailors, the women also were famous for making fine cloth.
There was a large orchard all around the palace, surrounded by a thick hedge. In the orchard there was a great variety of fruit-trees—pear, apple, pomegranate, olive, and fig. The trees were never bare of fruit, either in summer or in winter, for an ever-blowing west wind created such a mild climate that the trees were constantly blooming and ripening their fruit.
There was to be seen a tree full of blossoms, while another bent down under the load of ripe fruit. Thus it was with the grape-vines in the vineyard close to the orchard. Some were blooming, others had only begun to form fruit-buds, while some were loaded with ripe clusters ready for the wine-press. At the end of the orchard there was a magnificent flower-garden, in which the most fragrant flowers were blooming. Two springs also bubbled from the ground. One watered the orchard, and the other ran to the very door of the palace, and all the people filled their pitchers there. Such were the gifts Alkinoös had received from the gods.