"That is a matter of taste," said King Ulysses, "and, for my
own part, neither the most careful fattening nor the daintiest
of cookery would reconcile me to being dished at last. My
proposal is, therefore, that we divide ourselves into two equal
parties, and ascertain, by drawing lots, which of the two shall
go to the palace, and beg for food and assistance. If these can
be obtained, all is well. If not, and if the inhabitants prove
as inhospitable as Polyphemus, or the Laestrygons, then there
will but half of us perish, and the remainder may set sail and
escape."

As nobody objected to this scheme, Ulysses proceeded to count
the whole band, and found that there were forty-six men,
including himself. He then numbered off twenty-two of them, and
put Eurylochus (who was one of his chief officers, and second
only to himself in sagacity) at their head. Ulysses took
command of the remaining twenty-two men, in person. Then,
taking off his helmet, he put two shells into it, on one of
which was written, "Go," and on the other "Stay." Another
person now held the helmet, while Ulysses and Eurylochus drew
out each a shell; and the word "Go" was found written on that
which Eurylochus had drawn. In this manner, it was decided that
Ulysses and his twenty-two men were to remain at the seaside
until the other party should have found out what sort of
treatment they might expect at the mysterious palace. As there
was no help for it, Eurylochus immediately set forth at the
head of his twenty-two followers, who went off in a very
melancholy state of mind, leaving their friends in hardly
better spirits than themselves.