’Then the woman answered him and spake, saying:  “Even this may well be, if ye sailors will pledge me an oath to bring me home in safety.”

’So spake she, and they all swore thereto as she bade them.  Now when they had sworn and done that oath, again the woman spake among them and answered, saying: 

’"Hold your peace now, and let none of your fellows speak to me and greet me, if they meet me in the street, or even at the well, lest one go and tell it to the old man at home, and he suspect somewhat and bind me in hard bonds and devise death for all of you.  But keep ye the matter in mind, and speed the purchase of your homeward freight.  And when your ship is freighted with stores, let a message come quickly to me at the house; for I will likewise bring gold, all that comes under my hand.  Yea and there is another thing that I would gladly give for my fare.  I am nurse to the child of my lord in the halls, a most cunning little boy, that runs out and abroad with me.  Him would I bring on board ship, and he should fetch you a great price, wheresoever ye take him for sale among men of strange speech.”

’Therewith she went her way to the fair halls.  But they abode among us a whole year, and got together much wealth in their hollow ship.  And when their hollow ship was now laden to depart, they sent a messenger to tell the tidings to the woman.  There came a man versed in craft to my father’s house, with a golden chain strung here and there with amber beads.  Now the maidens in the hall and my lady mother were handling the chain and gazing on it, and offering him their price; but he had signed silently to the woman, and therewithal gat him away to the hollow ship.  Then she took me by the hand and led me forth from the house.  And at the vestibule of the house she found the cups and the tables of the guests that had been feasting, who were in waiting on my father.  They had gone forth to the session and the place of parley of the people.  And she straightway hid three goblets in her bosom, and bare them away, and I followed in my innocence.  Then the sun sank and all the ways were darkened and we went quickly and came to the good haven, where was the swift ship of the Phoenicians.  So they climbed on board and took us up with them, and sailed over the wet ways, and Zeus sent us a favouring wind.  For six days we sailed by day and night continually; but when Zeus, son of Cronos, added the seventh day thereto, then Artemis, the archer, smote the woman that she fell, as a sea-swallow falls, with a plunge into the hold.  And they cast her forth to be the prey of seals and fishes, but I was left stricken at heart.  And wind and water bare them and brought them to Ithaca, where Laertes bought me with his possessions.  And thus it chanced that mine eyes beheld this land.’

Then Odysseus, of the seed of Zeus, answered him saying: 

’Eumaeus, verily thou hast stirred my heart within me with the tale of all these things, of all the sorrow of heart thou hast endured.  Yet surely Zeus hath given thee good as well as evil, since after all these adventures thou hast come to the house of a kindly man, who is careful to give thee meat and drink and right well thou livest.  But I have come hither still wandering through the many towns of men.’