them behind the seat. And her mother brought a basket with food for
the midday meal and oil for her daughter and the other maidens when
they took their bath. Then they took their seats, Nausicaä grasped the
reins, and they went off at a sharp trot towards the riverside.

After a pleasant drive, they came to the place where stood a row of
cisterns on the river's bank. There they unharnessed the mules, and
left them to crop the sweet clover in the water-meadows. Then they
unloaded the waggon, threw the garments into washing-troughs, and trod
them with their feet until they were thoroughly cleansed, and having
wrung them out, they spread them on the white pebbly beach to dry.
While the garments were bleaching in the wholesome sun and air, they
took their bath, and afterwards sat down to the midday meal. When that
was ended, they threw off their veils, and stood up to play at ball.

It was a pretty and graceful sight; they were all comely maidens,
glowing with youth and health. Their sport was accompanied by dance
and song, and as they chased the flying ball, keeping time with hand
and foot and voice, they seemed like a choir of mountain nymphs, led
by Artemis, when she goes forth to the chase, in the wild valleys of
Arcady or Lacedæmon. Tallest and fairest of them all was Nausicaä, who
led the sport, moving like a queen among her vassals.

Presently they grew tired of their sport, and Nausicaä flung the ball
for the last time to one of her handmaids. The girl missed the ball,
and it fell into the middle of the river, whereupon the whole company
set up a sharp cry. The sound came to the ears of Odysseus, and woke
him from his long slumber. He sat up in his bed of leaves and communed
with himself: "Behold I hear the shrill cry of women, or perhaps of
the nymphs who haunt this wild place. Now may I learn of what sort are