The Odyssey Magic Hands

Hello! Come on, everybody, take a seat.

Wow!

Woo!

BOTH: Hello!

-BOTH:

-Hello!

Wiggle your fingers and cross your feet.

Are you ready?

One, two, three. Watch me.

Four, five, six. I've got some tricks.

Seven, eight, nine, it's almost time.

10!

ALL: Magic hands!

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Magic Hands!

-BOTH:

-Hello!

My name is...

And my name is...

Look at what my hands can do!

Oh...

It's a very old-looking book.

It's written by a famous poet called Homer.

The book is called The Odyssey,

and it's set in ancient Greece.

It's about a hero called Odysseus.

In the story, Odysseus is sailing home after a long war,

and he meets lots of fantastical creatures and monsters,

including a one-eyed giant

called the Cyclops.

Let's see how Odysseus tells the story

of how he and his friends got away.

It all starts as they are hiding in a cave.

Are you ready?

We sit, expecting.

Lo, he comes at last!

Near half a forest

on his back he bore

and cast the ponderous burden

at the door.

It thundered as it fell.

We trembled then,

and sought the deep recesses

of the den.

New driven before him,

through the arching rock

came tumbling heaps on heaps,

the un-numbered flock -

big-uddered ewes

and goats of female kind.

Then, heaved on high

a rock's enormous weight

to the cave's mouth he rolled

and closed the gate.

His labour done, he fired the pile

that gave a sudden blaze

and lighted all the cave.

We stand discovered

by the rising fires.

Askance, the giant glares.

Odysseus and his men are hiding in the cave.

The Cyclops is big and strong and hungry.

He gobbles up two of the men!

Odysseus knows that he and the rest of his men need to escape,

but how?

Luckily, he has a clever plan.

I then approached him,

reeking with their gall...

..and held the brimming goblet

foaming o'er.

Cyclops now drained this goblet,

potent to digest.

He heard, he took,

and pouring down his throat

delighted,

swilled the large luxurious draught.

"More! Give me more!" he cried,

"the boon be thine

"whoe'er thou art

"that bearest celestial wine."

When the Cyclops has drunk lots of wine, he falls fast asleep.

Odysseus uses one of the logs from the fire to blind him.

The next morning,

the blind Cyclops rolls the stone away from the cave's mouth

to let his sheep and goats out to eat.

This is the men's chance to escape,

but how will they get past him?

Strong were the rams,

with native purple fair,

well-fed and largest

of the fleecy care.

These, three and three,

with osier bands we tied.

The midmost bore a man.

The outward two

secured each side.

So bound we all the crew.

One ram remained,

the leader of the flock.

In his deep fleece

my grasping hands I lock,

and fast beneath,

in woolly curls enwove,

there clings implicit,

and confide in Jove.

When rosy morning glimmered

o'er the dales...

..he drove to pasture

all the lusty males.

The ewes, still folded

with distended thighs...

..unmilked, lay bleating

in distressful cries.

But heedless of those cares,

with anguish stung,

he felt their fleeces

as they passed along...

..fool that he was,

and let them safely go,

all unsuspecting

of their freight below.

No sooner freed,

and through the enclosure passed,

first I released myself,

my fellows last.

Fat sheep and goats

in throngs we drive before...

..and reach our vessel

on the winding shore.

With joy the sailors

view their friends returned,

and hail us living

whom, as dead, they mourned.

Big tears of transport

stand in every eye.

I check their fondness,

and command to fly.

-BOTH:

-Yay!

So Odysseus and his friends got away.

That was close!

Odysseus could have been eaten alive by the Cyclops,

but he came up with a good plan,

and hid all his men under the sheep who were going out of the cave.

Phew!

But the Cyclops doesn't really exist,

so we're all safe!

-BOTH:

-Bye!

-ALL:

-Magic Hands!

# Just look at my magic

# My magic hands

# Make your fingers super-duper. #

Magic Hands!