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DUMMY1/sn219_0055.wav|0|She went out to the pigsty and rubbed a magic ointment onto the animals.

DUMMY1/sn219_0056.wav|0|Then she waved her wand and they began to change back into men, only younger and better looking than they were before.

DUMMY1/sn219_0058.wav|0|When they had recovered, Odysseus went back to the ship to fetch the rest of his men.

DUMMY1/sn219_0059.wav|0|They were all united at Circe’s house and sat down to a wonderful feast of celebration.

DUMMY1/sn219_0060.wav|0|The Greeks stayed with the witch Circe for an entire month – and she didn’t try any more of her magic tricks on them.

DUMMY1/sn219_0061.wav|0|One morning Odysseus spoke to her:

DUMMY1/sn219_0062.wav|1|“Oh beautiful enchantress – too long have we enjoyed your hospitality.

DUMMY1/sn219_0063.wav|1|We must continue our journey to our home on the rocky island of Ithaca, but unfortunately we are completely lost.

DUMMY1/sn219_0064.wav|1|We do not know these seas.

DUMMY1/sn219_0065.wav|1|Can you direct us by the safest route?”

DUMMY1/sn219_0067.wav|1|“Lord Odysseus, if it were up to me, I would keep you here always – but I understand that you must be on your way to your home and your lovely wife, Queen Penelope. There is no safe route for you and your men to return home;

DUMMY1/sn219_0069.wav|1|If you sail close to her cliffs, she will reach down and grab some of your men and shove them into her mouth.

DUMMY1/sn219_0070.wav|1|But if you sail too close to the whirlpool of Charybdis, your entire boat will be sunk down to the bottom of the sea and all of you will drown.

DUMMY1/sn219_0071.wav|1|It is a terrible choice to make but you are a leader – so plot your course as you see best.

DUMMY1/sn219_0072.wav|1|Next, if the gods permit you to pass through that dire strait, you will come to the island of the Sun where the great Sun God, Lord Apollo, keeps his herd of sacred cows.

DUMMY1/sn219_0073.wav|1|Do as I say – steer clear of the island and do not land there.

DUMMY1/sn219_0074.wav|0|Nothing and nobody escapes the eyes of Apollo as he looks down from the sky.

DUMMY1/sn219_0075.wav|1|If you value your lives, avoid his island!”

DUMMY1/sn219_0077.wav|0|After three days, just as she had foretold, they reached the narrow passage that she had described.

DUMMY1/sn219_0078.wav|0|Up on the cliffs they could hear the monster Scylla, yelping like a dog that has been left tied up for too long.

DUMMY1/sn219_0079.wav|0|As they drew nearer, they could hear the terrible gurgling sound of the whirlpool, Charybdis.

DUMMY1/sn219_0080.wav|1|“This is indeed a terrible choice”

DUMMY1/sn219_0081.wav|0|, thought Odysseus,

DUMMY1/sn219_0084.wav|0|He did not tell his men about Scylla, in case they lost heart and put down their oars.

DUMMY1/sn219_0085.wav|0|All his men’s eyes were on the dreadful whirlpool, gurgling like a cauldron.

DUMMY1/sn219_0086.wav|0|The men rowed as hard they could, but as they passed beneath Scylla, she reached down to the ship.

DUMMY1/sn219_0087.wav|0|Odysseus fought her with his spear, desperately trying to stab at her arms, but he could not prevent her from snatching up six of his men.

DUMMY1/sn219_0088.wav|0|The others rowed on, crying for their companions.

DUMMY1/sn219_0089.wav|0|Once they passed through the strait, they saw the island of the Sun, just as Circe had predicted.

DUMMY1/sn219_0090.wav|1|“Thank heavens for land!”

DUMMY1/sn219_0091.wav|0|cried the men.

DUMMY1/sn219_0093.wav|0|They must not land, but sail on – for Circe had warned him of terrible danger should they set foot on the island belonging to the great Sun God, Lord Apollo.

DUMMY1/sn219_0094.wav|1|“Are you a slave driver?”

DUMMY1/sn219_0095.wav|0|cried out Lord Eurylochus.

DUMMY1/sn219_0096.wav|1|“In your rush to reach home, you deny us all rest.

DUMMY1/sn219_0097.wav|1|We are still grieving for our six lost companions.

DUMMY1/sn219_0098.wav|1|You cannot order us to sail on.

DUMMY1/sn219_0099.wav|1|We will surely die of sadness and exhaustion.”

DUMMY1/sn219_0101.wav|0|They found that the island was covered in green fields, and that fat cattle were grazing.

DUMMY1/sn219_0102.wav|0|The men waited for Odysseus to fall asleep and then killed two cows and ate roast meat on the beach.

DUMMY1/sn219_0104.wav|1|“Great Lord – I am wronged.

DUMMY1/sn219_0105.wav|1|Those rascals and ruffians who crew the ship of that tricky Greek, Odysseus, have killed the sacred cattle that bring joy to my heart.

DUMMY1/sn219_0106.wav|1|If you will not punish them, I shall go down to the land of the dead and light up the gloomy underworld.

DUMMY1/sn219_0107.wav|1|No more shall I shine in the skies above the world.”

DUMMY1/sn217_0005.wav|0|and there they were lurking, out of sight, but still not far away.

DUMMY1/sn217_0007.wav|0|The Trojans saw that the Greeks had left behind a strange offering.

DUMMY1/sn217_0008.wav|0|It was a giant wooden horse with ribs made from the planks of fir trees.

DUMMY1/sn217_0009.wav|0|The people marvelled at the massive statue, but there were different opinions about what they should do with it.

DUMMY1/sn217_0010.wav|0|Some wise old men saw there was something not quite right about the horse, and advised that they should set fire to it straight away.

DUMMY1/sn217_0011.wav|0|Others warned that , the gods would be angry with them if they did not honour the statue.

DUMMY1/sn217_0012.wav|0|After all, the wooden horse was dedicated to grey-eyed Athena, the great goddess of wisdom, and nobody wanted to feel her wrath.

DUMMY1/sn217_0013.wav|0|The crowd was wavering, and a white-bearded old Priest spoke out above the murmur.

DUMMY1/sn217_0014.wav|1|“Fellow citizens.

DUMMY1/sn217_0015.wav|1|Whatever this strange horse may be, remember this:

DUMMY1/sn217_0016.wav|1|it is always wise to fear the Greeks, especially when they are bringing gifts.

DUMMY1/sn217_0018.wav|0|So saying, the old priest hurled a mighty spear at the horse, and it flew into the beast’s side and quivered, and the guts of the horse reverberated with an eerie hollow sound like a long, deep moan.

DUMMY1/sn217_0019.wav|0|Had the Trojans decided there and then to set fire to that horse of death, their lovely city would be standing to this day, and the descendants of King Priam would be living in peace and happiness.

DUMMY1/sn217_0020.wav|0|Just then, a Trojan patrol came upon the scene, and they brought with them a prisoner – a Greek called Sinon whom the army had left behind.

DUMMY1/sn217_0021.wav|1|“Now we will find out the truth!”

DUMMY1/sn217_0022.wav|0|said the Trojan guards,

DUMMY1/sn217_0023.wav|1|“Let’s poke this wretched Greek spy with our bronze spears until he tells us what this Greek gift is all about!”

DUMMY1/sn217_0024.wav|0|When he heard this, the poor prisoner cried out:

DUMMY1/sn217_0025.wav|1|“No, please!

DUMMY1/sn217_0026.wav|1|Don’t harm me.

DUMMY1/sn217_0027.wav|1|I’ll happily tell you all you want to know - for cruel, scheming Odysseus is no more a friend of mine than he is of you.”

DUMMY1/sn217_0028.wav|0|- and so the Trojans listened to what Sinon had to say, and they tried to fathom whether or not he spoke the truth.

DUMMY1/sn217_0030.wav|1|Let me tell you that many times they planned to leave their sufferings behind, as they have done now...

DUMMY1/sn217_0031.wav|0|But each time they prepared to sail away in their beaked black ships, the sea god Poseidon sent a terrible storm, and whipped up giant waves on the wine dark sea.

DUMMY1/sn217_0032.wav|0|They consulted a priest who told them the reason why the gods were inflicting such pain.

DUMMY1/sn217_0033.wav|0|You see, before he left his home in Argos, King Agamemnon, the great leader of men, waited an entire month for a wind to blow his ships to Troy. Eventually, he decided that the gods required a very special offering.

DUMMY1/sn217_0034.wav|0|And as usual, it was scheming Odysseus who thought up the plan.

DUMMY1/sn217_0035.wav|0|He sent for Agamemnon’s own daughter, his darling Iphigenia, and told her that she was to marry swift-footed Achilles. She came with great joy and gladness in her heart - for Achilles was the handsomest and bravest of the Greeks, but it was all a most dreadful trick.

DUMMY1/sn217_0036.wav|0|Instead of marrying Achilles at the altar on the cliffs high up above the sea, the priest sacrificed the lovely white-skinned young maiden to the sea god.

DUMMY1/sn217_0038.wav|1|“I know,”

DUMMY1/sn217_0039.wav|0|he said,

DUMMY1/sn217_0040.wav|1|“Let’s sacrifice the most useless of those among us.

DUMMY1/sn217_0041.wav|1|Nobody will miss Sinon. He has only ever criticised our plans, and called us leaders wicked and foolish.

DUMMY1/sn217_0042.wav|1|We once sacrificed an innocent young girl, now let’s give the gods the life of a man, and you’ll see, they will send us a fair wind to blow us swiftly home.”

DUMMY1/sn217_0043.wav|0|“But before Odysseus sent his guards to fetch me to my death, a rumour reached me of what he had said, and I ran into the woods and hid.

DUMMY1/sn217_0045.wav|1|This magnificent wooden horse is their offering, to say how sorry they are for all the needless death and destruction they have caused.

DUMMY1/sn217_0047.wav|0|Sinon one again called out:

DUMMY1/sn217_0048.wav|1|“You see, Trojans. Nothing but the truth I spoke!

DUMMY1/sn217_0049.wav|1|"The Gods have rightly punished that wicked old priest for sending his spear into the wooden horse!"" And now nobody dared to disagree."

DUMMY1/sn217_0050.wav|0|The Trojans brought ropes and placed wheels beneath the statue’s feet, so that they might pull the wooden horse through the gates of their magnificent city.

DUMMY1/sn217_0052.wav|0|There was rejoicing in the city, and even the fortune teller, Casandra, did not dare open her lips though she foresaw the imminent doom - for the gods had given Casandra the gift of clear-sighted prophecy but had decreed that not one person would believe her.

DUMMY1/sn217_0053.wav|0|It was a clear moonlit night, and the Trojans carried on partying.

DUMMY1/sn24_0000.wav|1|“In fact,”

DUMMY1/sn24_0001.wav|1|so Tim said:

DUMMY1/sn24_0002.wav|1|“Oh really?

DUMMY1/sn24_0003.wav|1|That’s jolly interesting.”

DUMMY1/sn24_0005.wav|0|Nobody was surprised when he swam back with another question:

DUMMY1/sn24_0006.wav|1|“Bertie, when you were a prince, what sort of car did you drive?”

DUMMY1/sn24_0007.wav|0|And this time Bertie answered for himself saying:

DUMMY1/sn24_0008.wav|1|“I bet that you can’t guess.”

DUMMY1/sn24_0009.wav|1|“Oh oh, I like the Guessing Game. Um um, a red Ferrari?”

DUMMY1/sn24_0010.wav|1|“No.”

DUMMY1/sn24_0013.wav|1|“No.”

DUMMY1/sn24_0014.wav|1|“Oh, oh, don’t tell me.

DUMMY1/sn24_0016.wav|0|But Tim had to give up, because he couldn’t remember the names of any more cars.

DUMMY1/sn24_0017.wav|0|And so Bertie told him that the car he used to drive when he was a prince was a...