Chapter 31 Punish the unfaithful maids

Odysseus looked around, but there was no living enemy in sight.They were all lying all over the place, like fish thrown out of a net by a fisherman.Odysseus told his son to call the old nurse.When she entered the hall, she saw her master standing among the corpses, covered in blood, with his eyes glaring fiercely like a terrible lion, and his majesty made her almost weep with joy. "Rejoice," said Odysseus to her, "but do not rejoice. Mortals cannot rejoice in the presence of the dead! It is the gods' decision that they should die. Well, now send the maids of the palace Tell me who are unfaithful and which are faithful." "There are fifty maidservants in the palace," replied Euryclea, "twelve of them have betrayed you, neither Do my bidding, and not Penelope's. Now, king, let me wake my sleeping mistress and tell her the good news!" "Don't disturb her just yet," said Odysseus, "Go and bring here the twelve dishonest maids."

Euryclea did as he was told.Twelve maids came trembling.Odysseus called his son and two loyal servants, and said to them: "Let these maids help you carry the dead out. Then order them to wipe the tables and chairs with sponges, and clean the hall. When they have done all this , take them out, and kill them with a sharp sword!" The maids screamed and huddled together in fright.Odysseus forces them to work.They carried the dead out, wiped the tables and chairs, cleaned the blood from the floor, and swept the rags out of the hall.Finally, they were led by two shepherds into the clearing between the kitchen and the palace, leaving them nowhere to escape.Telemachus said: "These maids are really hateful, let them die!"

As he spoke, he tied a thick rope to a row of posts, then put the rope around their necks and hung them on the thick rope.They struggled for a while, then swallowed their breath.In the end, the vicious shepherd Melantheus was brought over and hacked to death.The work of vengeance was now complete. Then Odysseus bade Euryclea, bring in charcoal and brimstone in a pan, and smoke the hall, the inner court, and the vestibule.But she first brought the cloak and tights to her master, and said to him, "You can't wear this rags anymore." Odysseus put the clothes aside, and told her to do what he had just ordered. .

After Euryclea smoked the hall and the inner court, he summoned all the loyal maids.With tears of joy they surrounded their master and kissed his hands, and Odysseus was moved to tears too.