outside of the town, and were supplied with water from the river Callicoe.

There her attendants unyoked the mules, took out the clothes, and steeped
them in the cisterns, washing them in several waters, and afterwards
treading them clean with their feet, venturing wagers who should have done
soonest and cleanest, and using many pretty pastimes to beguile their
labours as young maids use, while the princess looked on. When they had
laid their clothes to dry, they fell to playing again, and Nausicaa joined
them in a game with the ball, which is used in that country, which is
performed by tossing the ball from hand to hand with great expedition, she
who begins the pastime singing a song. It chanced that the princess, whose
turn it became to toss the ball, sent it so far from its mark that it fell
beyond into one of the cisterns of the river; at which the whole company,
in merry consternation, set up a shriek so loud as waked the sleeping
Ulysses, who was taking his rest after his long toils in the woods not far
distant from the place where these young maids had come to wash.

[Illustration: _And Nausicaa joined them in a game with the ball_.]

At the sound of female voices Ulysses crept forth from his retirement,
making himself a covering with boughs and leaves as well as he could to
shroud his nakedness. The sudden appearance of his weather-beaten and
almost naked form so frighted the maidens that they scudded away into the
woods and all about to hide themselves, only Minerva (who had brought
about this interview to admirable purposes, by seemingly accidental means)
put courage into the breast of Nausicaa, and she stayed where she was, and
resolved to know what manner of man he was, and what was the occasion of
his strange coming to them.

He not venturing (for delicacy) to approach and clasp her knees, as