of traders and sailors, and stealers of slaves. They carried cargoes of
beautiful cloths, and embroideries, and jewels of gold, and necklaces of
amber, and sold these everywhere about the shores of Greece and the
islands.

Ulysses then dressed himself like a Phoenician pedlar, with his pack on
his back: he only took a stick in his hand, his long hair was turned up,
and hidden under a red sailor's cap, and in this figure he came, stooping
beneath his pack, into the courtyard of King Lycomedes. The girls heard
that a pedlar had come, and out they all ran, Achilles with the rest to
watch the pedlar undo his pack. Each chose what she liked best: one took
a wreath of gold; another a necklace of gold and amber; another earrings;
a fourth a set of brooches, another a dress of embroidered scarlet cloth;
another a veil; another a pair of bracelets; but at the bottom of the
pack lay a great sword of bronze, the hilt studded with golden nails.
Achilles seized the sword. "This is for me!" he said, and drew the sword
from the gilded sheath, and made it whistle round his head.

"You are Achilles, Peleus' son!" said Ulysses; "and you are to be the
chief warrior of the Achaeans," for the Greeks then called themselves
Achaeans. Achilles was only too glad to hear these words, for he was
quite tired of living among maidens. Ulysses led him into the hall where
the chiefs were sitting at their wine, and Achilles was blushing like any
girl.

"Here is the Queen of the Amazons," said Ulysses--for the Amazons were a
race of warlike maidens--"or rather here is Achilles, Peleus' son, with
sword in hand." Then they all took his hand, and welcomed him, and he
was clothed in man's dress, with the sword by his side, and presently
they sent him back with ten ships to his home. There his mother, Thetis,