Page:The Odyssey of Homer, with the Hymns, Epigrams, and Battle of the Frogs and Mice (Buckley 1853).djvu/308

272 begs of me to go away from the palace, angry on account of the wealth, which the Grecians are consuming for him. But come, expound a dream for me, and hearken to it: twenty geese in my house eat wheat out of the water, and I was delighted, looking at them; but a large crooked-beaked eagle coming from a mountain, broke the necks of all of them, and slew them: and they were strewn together in the palace, but he was lifted up into the divine air. But I wept and wailed, although in a dream, and the fair-haired Grecian women were assembled around me complaining piteously, that the eagle had killed my geese. But coming back he sat down on the projecting roof; and restrained me with a mortal voice, and spoke: 'Be of good cheer, O daughter of far-famed Icarius; it is not a dream, but an excellent vision, which shall be brought to pass. The geese are the suitors; and I before was an eagle, but now am come, thy husband, who will bring unseemly fate upon all the suitors.' Thus he spoke; and sweet sleep left me. And looking about, I saw the geese in the palace, eating wheat near the trough, where they before [eat it]."

But her much-counselling Ulysses addressed in answer: "O lady, it is not possible to expound the dream turning in any other way; since Ulysses himself told thee how it will be performed; but destruction has appeared to all the suitors; nor will any one escape death and fate."

But him prudent Penelope addressed in turn: "Stranger, dreams are indeed uncertain, and speak things which cannot be determined, nor are all brought to pass for men. For there are two portals of unsubstantial dreams; these are made of horn, and those of ivory; whichever of them comes through the sawn ivory, they deceive, bringing promises which will never be fulfilled; but those which come out of doors through the polished horn, accomplish what is true, when any one of mortals sees them. But I think not that the terrible dream came to me from thence; so it would be delightful for me and for my son. But I will tell thee something else, and do thou lay it up in thy mind: this is now the