Odysseus And Penelope.

One day, brave and bold, tired and lost, a man was lost in the ocean. He was wetter than any fish as he was tossed around in the water. His name was Odysseus, and he was on a quest to find his wife, whom he had not seen for twenty full years. Imagine being away for two whole centuries, one of which you were at war and the other you were trying to get back home. Finally he was washed up, but he didn't know were he was. Suddenly, Athena appeared and said, " Ok, there are two things you need to know, first, you are on your own island, and second, there are loads of nobles who want to marry Penelope."

" I must get home!" he said. " When shall I go?" Confused, shocked, scared, Odysseus was suddenly changed into a 'tramp'. Athena smiled at her handiwork, and told Odysseus to "stay disguised until I see you again." With that, she vanished. Then he heard, " And do beg while your at your palace."

***

If he didn't go to war, if he hadn't been lost at sea, if he hadn't heard about the nobles, then he would feel a lot more determined. As he arrived at the palace, he could hear the unkind laughs of the princes as they "har-har-ed" at Penelope's jokes about not marrying them.

Odysseus gritted his teeth as he walked up the fine stone steps towards the guards, hunching like an old man as he did so. Athena had taken care of them, he thought, when he saw them on the ground.

He was a volcano of anger as he climbed that staircase. It was time to beg. He said hopefully, "Can you p-p princes sp-p-pare a scrap-p-p for me p-p-lease? J-j-just a-ah sc-crap-p-p, a-ah l-l-little m-morsel?" The princes and nobles just laughed at this and gave the tramp a hard kick. All of the nobles had a turn to slam Odysseus with their foot. Suddenly, like the wind, Penelope swept in and said calmly," What is the meaning of this?" The nobles laughed again and she said," I will look after you, while you are here." to Odysseus. How he just wanted to tell Penelope who he was. Telemachus was called to help Penelope tend the tramp's wounds and bruises. Then the door seemed to open by itself, and what looked like an old hunting dog limped in. It seemed to wag it's stump of a tail, and "Argus," said Odysseus, "my old friend." Argus layed his head on his masters lap, and died.

***

The competition was won by Odysseus, obviously. Penelope said "the man whom could fire an arrow through twelve holes in twelve upright axes", would be her husband. She also said that they had to use Odysseus' bow, but it was too heavy. The only person who could lift it was the tramp. The tramp also fired one arrow through all of the holes, and took Penelope after killing all the nobles with the rest of his quiver.

THE BEAUTIFUL END.

By Harry Osborne...