Then Odysseus of many counsels looked fiercely on her, and said:  ’Yea, straight will I go yonder and tell Telemachus hereof, thou shameless thing, for this thy speech, that forthwith he may cut thee limb from limb.’

So he spake, and with his saying scared away the women, who fled through the hall, and the knees of each were loosened for fear, for they deemed that his words were true.  But Odysseus took his stand by the burning braziers, tending the lights, and gazed on all the men:  but far other matters he pondered in his heart, things not to be unfulfilled.

Now Athene would in no wise suffer the lordly wooers to abstain from biting scorn, that the pain might sink yet the deeper into the heart of Odysseus, son of Laertes.  So Eurymachus, son of Polybus, began to speak among them, girding at Odysseus, and so made mirth for his friends: 

’Hear me ye wooers of the queen renowned, that I may say that which my spirit within me bids me.  Not without the gods’ will has this man come to the house of Odysseus; methinks at least that the torchlight flares forth from {*} that head of his, for there are no hairs on it, nay never so thin.’

{* Accepting the conjecture [Greek] = [Greek] for the MSS. [Greek]}

He spake and withal addressed Odysseus, waster of cities:  ’Stranger, wouldest thou indeed be my hireling, if I would take thee for my man, at an upland farm, and thy wages shall be assured thee, and there shalt thou gather stones for walls and plant tall trees?  There would I provide thee bread continual, and clothe thee with raiment, and give thee shoes for thy feet.  Howbeit, since thou art practised only in evil, thou wilt not care to go to the labours of the field, but wilt choose rather to go louting through the land, that thou mayst have wherewithal to feed thine insatiate belly.’

Then Odysseus of many counsels answered him and said:  ’Eurymachus, would that there might be a trial of labour between us twain, in the season of spring, when the long days begin!  In the deep grass might it be, and I should have a crooked scythe, and thou another like it, that we might try each the other in the matter of labour, fasting till late eventide, and grass there should be in plenty.  Or would again, that there were oxen to drive, the best there may be, large and tawny, both well filled with fodder, of equal age and force to bear the yoke and of strength untiring!  And it should be a field of four ploughgates, and the clod should yield before the ploughshare.  Then shouldest thou see me, whether or no I would cut a clean furrow unbroken before me.  Or would that this very day Cronion might waken war whence he would, and that I had a shield and two spears, and a helmet all of bronze, close fitting on my temples!  Then shouldest thou see me mingling in the forefront of the battle, nor speak and taunt me with this my belly.  Nay, thou art exceeding wanton and thy heart is hard, and thou thinkest thyself some great one and mighty, because thou consortest with few men and feeble.  Ah, if Odysseus might but return and come to his own country, right soon would yonder doors full wide as they are, prove all too strait for thee in thy flight through the doorway!’