Odyssey

"There you go," cried he, "and a precious pair you are. See how heaven brings birds of the same feather to one another. Where, pray, master swineherd, are you taking this poor miserable object? It would make any one sick to see such a creature at table. A fellow like this never won a prize for anything in his life, but will go about rubbing his shoulders against every man's door post, and begging, not for swords and cauldrons like a man, but only for a few scraps not worth begging for. If you would give him to me for a hand on my station, he might do to clean out the folds, or bring a bit of sweet feed to the kids, and he could fatten his thighs as much as he pleased on whey; but he has taken to bad ways and will not go about any kind of work; he will do nothing but beg victuals all the dêmos over, to feed his insatiable belly. I say, therefore and it shall surely be - if he goes near Odysseus’ house he will get his head broken by the stools they will fling at him, till they turn him out."

OdysseyBook 17, Line 217Samuel ButlerEnglishVerse permalinkRead in Book 17

HomerProseID odyssey-odyssey-butler-en-prose-17-217