goat, nor any of your blessed ones. We are stronger than they, and dare
bid open battle to Jove himself, though you and all your fellows of the
earth join with him." And he bade them tell him where their ship was in
which they came, and whether they had any companions. But Ulysses, with a
wise caution, made answer that they had no ship or companions, but were
unfortunate men, whom the sea, splitting their ship in pieces, had dashed
upon his coast, and they alone had escaped. He replied nothing, but
gripping two of the nearest of them, as if they had been no more than
children, he dashed their brains out against the earth, and, shocking to
relate, tore in pieces their limbs, and devoured them yet warm and
trembling, making a lion's meal of them, lapping the blood; for the
Cyclops are _man-eaters_, and esteem human flesh to be a delicacy far
above goat's or kid's; though by reason of their abhorred customs few men
approach their coast, except some stragglers, or now and then a
shipwrecked mariner. At a sight so horrid, Ulysses and his men were like
distracted people. He, when he had made an end of his wicked supper,
drained a draught of goat's milk down his prodigious throat, and lay down
and slept among his goats. Then Ulysses drew his sword, and half resolved
to thrust it with all his might in at the bosom of the sleeping monster;
but wiser thoughts restrained him, else they had there without help all
perished, for none but Polyphemus himself could have removed that mass of
stone which he had placed to guard the entrance. So they were constrained
to abide all that night in fear.

When day came the Cyclop awoke, and kindling a fire, made his breakfast of
two other of his unfortunate prisoners, then milked his goats as he was
accustomed, and pushing aside the vast stone, and shutting it again when
he had done upon the prisoners, with as much ease as a man opens and shuts
a quiver's lid, he let out his flock, and drove them before him with
whistlings (as sharp as winds in storms) to the mountains.