The Bemidji pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minn.) 1896-1917, 1896-05-21


Ulysses finished by saying that he
would appear at the banquet that day
disguised as the beggar, and he COM
manded Telemachus to pay no more at
tention to him than he would to any
stranger seeking help. Then Telema-.
ehus went to the palace, and when he
hal seen the queen, he went to his
rooms and remained there. So no one
| knew he had returned.
| Then suddenly loud shout was
heard. It was only the princes, greet
ing what the herald had just pro,
claimed:
| 4, Penelope, Queen of Ithaca, to- the
| lords within my domain:
| This day will give myself in mar
rage, with my crown and lands az
dowry to him who shall prove himself
! worthy in the feat of strength that i
( shall decide on
That was all. But it filled the mobiles
the banquet drew near all were gathered
in the great hall. Their JOY was to re-
ceive check, however. When Pene-
lope entered, radiant in all her jewels
and her robes Of finest spun materials
a murmur Of admiration ran through
the assembly. But the next moment it
was changed to one of chagrfn, as they
saw Telemachus walking behind his
mother. They had hoped that he was
dead, since it was so long since he had
been heard Of in the kingdom.
When all We're seated Ulysses en-,
tered, his tattered robe barely cover
ing his worn figure. AS he crossed the
threshold, his dog, now grown feeble
with age, lifted its head, and
giving yelp Of JOY tried to
drag his old form to his be.
loved masters feet And then
he fell dead, his worn-out heart hav
ing first been rewarded for his long
watching and waiting. No one noticed
the incident save the beggar, who, seat
| ing himself by the hearth, drew his
hand before his moistened eyes.
In those days the poor were treated
differently from what they seem to be
now. Ulysses was received into the
|
with a portion from her table
| When the guests had been served,
they grew even merrier than before,
and it was not long before Ulysses be-
came the butt for their coarse jokes.
One even went SO far as to raise q
stool and strike Ulysses with it, and
| Telemachus could scarcely control his
| anger and indignation at seeing his
father SO treated within his own hall
But look from Ulysses quieted him
anu things went on as before.
Then, at last, they called for the
feat of strength. Penelope smiled and
commanded first that all weapons
| should be removed from the room,
since in the excitement they might be
put to a wrong use. When this was
done, twelve rings were arranged, sew
eral feet apart, in long row down
the hall. Then a large bow and a
culver OF arrows, which Ulysses had
won in one Of his heroic deeds, were
brought out.
4 "Whosoever can string this bow and
/ shoot an arrow through the twelve
rings, may have me for his BRIDE"
said Penelope. ..
4 Telemachus first took the bow and
tried to bend it to fit the arrow to the
string. But struggle as he would, he
could not so much as move it.
He is only STRIPPING cried a burly
noble. Give it to mel"
+ And SO they tried, one after another.
They creased the string with tallow and
with oil, but no one could bend the
bow. When all had tried. Ulysses
stepped forward and begged permits
sion to try. How they jeered, and buf-
| feted him for his daring even to ask
SO high favor. But Penelope cried
out: f~
Let him try. Though he is so CID,
he says he was once soldier. Let him
| tryr' s.
| Then they made way, and Ulysses,
| taking the bow, bent it as easily as If
it had been a. willow wand and sent the
arrow flying through the twelve rings,
where, at the end Of it's course it struck
| into the wall and then remained fast.
! And then Minerva took the disguise
from Ulysses, and he stood revealed.
Behold me-Ulysses" he cried in
thunderous tones. Nov see how I
| shall reward you all for daring to af-
front your queen; for daring to make
my house place of reyelry"
Then, with unerring aim, he shot an
arrow at each intruder till all were
dead. There was no chance for de-
tense, for all their weapons had been
taken away: there was no chance of
escape, for all the doors had been Sc
| cured. 45rs.r --
And so persisted the men who had
abused hospitality and failed to defend
! weakness. And so did Ulysses return to
his kingdom and his queen after the
toll the hardships and privations of
war and the accomplishment of heroic
deeds.
| Youthful Resentment.