As to the dreams themselves,
they differ from one another both in nature and in
looks. Some were tall, handsome and well-proportioned, while others were small and ugly; and
some were rich, I thought, while others were
humble and beggarly. There were winged and
portentous dreams among them, and there were
others dressed up as if for a carnival, being clothed to
represent kings and gods and different characters of
the sort. We actually recognised many of them,
whom we had seen long ago at home. These came


 

up to us and greeted us like old acquaintances, took
us with them, put us to sleep and entertained us
very splendidly and hospitably. They treated us
like lords in every way, and even promised to make
us kings and nabobs, A few of them actually took
us off home, gave us a sight of our friends and
families and brought us back the same day.

 

For
thirty days and thirty nights we stopped with them
and had a fine time—sleeping! Then of a ‘sudden a
great thunder-clap came; we woke up, sprang out of
bed and put to sea as soon as we had laid in
supplies. On the third day out from there we touched at
the island of Ogygia and landed. But first I opened
the letter and read what was in it. It was: Odysseus to Calypso, greeting. “Soon after I built the raft and sailed away from
you I was shipwrecked, and with the help of Leucothea
managed to reach the land of the Phaeacians in
safety. They sent me home, and there I found that
my wife had a number of suitors who were living on
the fat of the land at our house. I killed them all,
and was afterwards slain by Telegonus, my son by
Circe. Now I am on the Isle of the Blest, thoroughly
sorry to have given up my life with you and the
immortality which you offered me. Therefore, if I
get a chance, I shall run away and come to you.”
In addition to this, the letter said. that she was to
entertain us.
 

On going a short way from the
sea I found the cave, which was as Homer described
it,
 Odyss. 5, 55 ff. 
and found Calypso herself working wool. When



 

she had taken the letter and read it, she wept a long
time at first, and then she asked us in to enjoy her hospitality, gave us a splendid feast and enquired about
Odysseus and Penelope—how she looked and
whether she was prudent, as Odysseus used to boast
in old times.
 Odyss. 5, 201 ff. We made her such answers as we
thought would please her. 
After that, we went back to the ship and slept
beside it on the shore.
 
Early in the morning
we put to sea in a rising wind. We were stormtossed for two days, and on the third we fell in with
the Pumpkin-pirates. They are savages from the
neighbouring islands who prey on passing sailors.
They have large boats.of pumpkin, sixty cubits long;
for after drying a pumpkin they hollow it out, take
out the insides and go sailing in it, using reeds for
masts and a pumpkin-leaf for a sail. They attacked
us with two crews and gave us battle, wounding
many of us by hitting us with pumpkin-seeds instead
of stones. After fighting for a long time on even
terms, about noon we-saw the Nut-sailors coming up
astern of the Pumpkin-pirates. They were enemies
to one another, as they showed by their actions; for
when the Pumpkin-pirates noticed them coming up,
they neglected us and faced about and fought with
them. But in the meantime we hoisted our canvas
and fled, leaving them fighting.

 
It was evident that
the Nut-sailors would win, as they were in greater



 

numbers—they had five crews—and fought from
stouter ships. Their boats were the halves of empty
nutshells, each of which measured fifteen fathoms in
length.
When we had lost them from sight, we attended
to the wounded, and thereafter we kept under arms
most of the time, always looking for attacks. And we
did not look in vain.