Accordingly,
we hastened our steps, and came upon an old
man and a young one working very industriously
in a garden-plot, and watering it with water from
the spring. We halted, overjoyed, and at the
same time filled with fear, and they must have
had the same feeling towards us, for they stood
speechless.
But presently the old man said, "Who are you,
strangers? Are you," said he, "some of the gods
of the sea, or ill-fated mortals like ourselves?
For we are men, and we were reared on dry land;
but now we have become sea-dwellers, and we


 



swim about in company with this monster who
encloses us, not rightly knowing what condition
we are in; for reason tells us we are dead, and
yet we believe we are alive."
In answer to this I, too, spoke: "We, too, are
men, father-new-comers, at your service. We
were gulped down, the other day, ship and all.
We are making this expedition for the sake of
knowing what is in the forest, for it seemed large
and thickly wooded. Some god, I think, led us,
so that we might see you, and know that we are
not the only men penned up in this monster.
But come, tell us your story-who you are and
how you came hither."
But he said he would neither give nor seek information until he had offered us such hospitality
as was in his power; so he took possession of us
and led us to his dwelling, which was tolerably
made, with beds built in it and furnished with the
other necessaries. He set before us vegetables
and fruits and fish, and poured out wine for us,
too; and when we had eaten our fill, he inquired
what our adventures had been. I related them
all in order-the storm, our experiences on the
island, our voyage in the air, the war, everything
up to our engulfment by the whale.