CYCLOPS

What terrible treatment, father, I’ve had from that foreigner, curse him! Made me drunk and blinded me, setting on me in my sleep!

POSEIDON

Who dared to do that, Polyphemus?

CYCLOPS

At first he called himself Noman, but once he’d escaped and was out of range, he said his name was Odysseus.

POSEIDON

I know whom you mean—the fellow from Ithaca. He was sailing back from Troy. But how did he manage it, for he’s no hero?

CYCLOPS

When I got back from the pastures, I caught quite a few of them in my cave, obviously with designs on my flocks. For after I’d put the lid on my doorway—I’ve a huge rock for that—and had got my fire going with a tree I had with me from the mountain, I saw them, though they were trying to hide. I grabbed a few of them and ate them up, as was only natural, seeing that they were robbers. Then that out-and-out scoundrel, be his name Noman or Odysseus, gave me a drink which he’d drugged. It tasted and smelt nice, but was right treacherous and landed me in a heap of trouble. For the moment I’d drunk it, everything seemed to whirl round and round, and the cave itself started to turn upside down, and I began to lose my bearings, ¹ and in the end was overcome by sleep. And he, after sharpening that stake, yes, and making it red-hot in the fire, blinded me while I was asleep, and it’s thanks to him that you’ve a blind son, Poseidon.

POSEIDON

How soundly you must have slept, my son, if you didn’t jump up while he was blinding you! But how did Odysseus escape? I’m sure he couldn’t have moved the rock from the doorway.

CYCLOPS

No, I did that myself; I thought it’d be easier for me to catch him as he went out. I sat down by the doorway, with my hands stretched out to feel for them. It was only my sheep I let out to the pasture, and I told my ram everything he’d to do for me.

POSEIDON

I see it all. They slipped out under your sheep. But you should have called in the other Cyclopes to look for him.

CYCLOPS

So I did, father, and they came. But when they asked the name of the fellow responsible for the trick, and I said it was Noman, they thought I was out of my mind and went off home. Thus he outwitted me by that name, curse him. But what’s annoyed me most of all, is that he taunted me with my misfortune and said, “Not even your father, Poseidon himself, will be able to cure you”.

POSEIDON

Cheer up, son. I’ll punish him. I’ll teach him that, though I can’t cure blindness, I do have control over the fortunes of sailors. He’s still at sea, remember.

II

Cyclops

Posidon

Cyclops

Only look, father, what that cursed stranger has been doing to me! He made me drunk, and set upon me whilst I was asleep, and blinded me.

Posidon

Who has dared to do this?

Cyclops

He called himself ‘Noman’ at first: but when he had got safely out of range, he said his name was Odysseus.

Posidon

I know—the Ithacan; on his way back from Troy. But how did he come to dosuch a thing? He is not distinguished for courage.

Cyclops

When I got back from the pasture, I caught a lot of the fellows in my cave. Evidently they had designs upon the sheep: because when I had blocked up my doorway (I have a great big stone for that), and kindled a fire, with a tree that I had brought home from the mountain,—there they were trying to hide themselves. I saw they were robbers, so I caught a few of them, and ate them of course, and then that scoundrel of a Noman, or Odysseus, whichever it is, gave me something to drink, with a drug in it; it tasted and smelt very good, but it was villanously heady stuff; it made everything spin round; even the cave seemed to be turning upside down, and I simply didn’t know where I was; and finally I fell off to sleep. And then he sharpened that stake, and made it hot in the fire, and blinded me in my sleep; and blind I have been ever since, father.

Posidon

You must have slept pretty soundly, my boy, or you would have jumped up in the middle of it. Well, and how did Odysseus get off? He couldn’t move that stone away, I know.

Cyclops

I took that away myself, so as to catch him as he went out. I sat down in the doorway, and felt about for him with my hands. I just let the sheep go out to pasture, and told the ram everything I wanted done.

Posidon

Ah! and they slipped out under the sheep? But you should have set the other Cyclopes on to him.

Cyclops

I did call them, and they came: but when they asked me who it was that was playing tricks with me, I said ‘Noman’; and then they thought I was mad, and went off home again. The villain! that name of his was just a trick! And what I minded most was the way in which he made game of my misfortune: ‘Not even Papa can put this right,’ he said.

Posidon

Never mind, my boy; I will be even with him. I may not be able to cure blindness, but he shall know that I have something to say to mariners. He is not home yet.