After escaping the Cyclops Polyphemus, Odysseus and his companions sailed through dangerous seas.

They reached the island of Aeolus, keeper of the winds.

Aeolus was kind! He gave Odysseus an incredible gift: a leather bag containing all the winds - except the west wind, which would blow the ships directly to Ithaca!

"Don't open the bag!" warned Aeolus! "Just use the west wind!"

For nine days, they sailed perfectly! They got SO close to Ithaca they could see the smoke from the hearths!

Odysseus, exhausted from commanding alone, finally slept.

But Odysseus's companions became curious and greedy.

"What's in the bag? Must be treasure! Gold! Silver! And Odysseus isn't sharing!"

While Odysseus slept, they opened the bag.

Whoooooosh.

ALL the winds escaped at once! Terrible storms hit the ships!

The furious winds pushed them back - away from Ithaca.

Odysseus woke and saw Ithaca disappearing on the horizon! His heart broke!

They had been so close! And now they were lost again!

The storm took them to the land of the Laestrygonians - a race of cannibal giants.

It was worse than the Cyclops! There were hundreds of them!

The Laestrygonians attacked Odysseus's fleet! They threw enormous rocks! They crushed ships like toys!

They sank Eleven of Odysseus's twelve ships.

Only ONE ship escaped - Odysseus's own ship.

Hundreds of companions died! Now Odysseus had only one ship and about 45 remaining men!

It was a disaster.

Shattered and traumatized, they sailed until they reached a mysterious island called Aeaea.

In the center of the island was a stone palace! Smoke rose from its chimney!

Odysseus divided the men into two groups! He led one, his friend Eurylochus led the other!

They drew lots to see which group would explore! Eurylochus's group "won"!

Eurylochus and 22 men walked to the palace.

There they found something strange: wolves and lions walked freely! But they didn't attack! They were tame as dogs!

From the palace came a beautiful voice singing! A woman!

The door opened! And there was Circe - a gorgeous sorceress with golden hair and eyes that shone with magical power!

"Welcome, travelers!" said Circe sweetly! "You look tired! Come in! Eat! Drink!"

She served them food and wine! The men, starving, ate and drank eagerly!

Eurylochus, suspicious, stayed outside watching.

When the men finished eating, Circe smiled maliciously! She picked up her magic wand and touched each man!

And the men Transformed Into Pigs.

The men now had pigs' bodies! But they kept their human minds!

They grunted desperately! They tried to speak! But only pig sounds came out!

Circe locked them in a pigsty! "More pigs for my collection!" she laughed!

The wolves and lions walking around the palace? They were all transformed humans.

Eurylochus saw everything and ran back terrified.

"Odysseus! Circe! Sorceress! She turned everyone into pigs!"

Odysseus grabbed his sword! "I'm going to rescue them!"

"It's suicide!" said Eurylochus!

"They're my men!" said Odysseus! "I don't abandon them!"

As Odysseus walked to the palace, the god Hermes appeared.

"Odysseus! Circe will turn you into a pig too! But I'll help you!"

Hermes gave Odysseus a magical flower called moly - it had black roots and a flower white as milk.

"This plant will protect you from Circe's magic! When she tries to transform you, attack with your sword! She'll be so impressed she'll do whatever you want!"

Odysseus thanked him and continued.

Odysseus arrived at the palace! Circe received him seductively!

"Another traveler! Come! Eat! Drink!"

Odysseus ate and drank! But he had the moly flower hidden!

When he finished, Circe picked up her wand and touched Odysseus.

"BECOME A PIG!" she ordered!

But... nothing happened.

Odysseus remained human! The moly protected him!

Circe was shocked! "Impossible! Who are you?"

Odysseus drew his sword and advanced! "I am Odysseus of Ithaca! Give me back my men or I—"

Circe fell to her knees! "Please! Don't kill me! Hermes told me that one day Odysseus would come! I knew you would defeat my magic!"

"Swear by the gods you won't harm me!" said Odysseus!

Circe swore by the river Styx - the most sacred oath.

"Now turn my men back!"

Circe waved her wand! The pigs transformed back into humans! They even looked younger and stronger than before!

"Stay with me, Odysseus!" begged Circe! "You and your men! Rest! Eat! Be my guests!"

Odysseus hesitated! But his men were exhausted! Traumatized! They needed rest!

"One month," agreed Odysseus!

But one month became two... three... four...

An Entire Year passed.

Finally, the companions said: "Captain! We need to go! Have you forgotten Ithaca? Penelope?"

Odysseus woke as from a trance! "You're right! Circe! We must leave!"

Circe, who had fallen in love with Odysseus, was sad! But she helped!

"Odysseus, your journey will have terrible dangers! Let me warn you!"

"First, you'll pass the Sirens - creatures that sing so beautifully that sailors throw themselves into the sea to swim to them! And they die drowning or devoured!"

"Then you'll face Scylla and Charybdis - two monsters in a strait! Scylla has six heads that devour men! Charybdis is a whirlpool that swallows entire ships!"

"Choose your path carefully!"

Odysseus and his men departed.

Soon they sighted the island of the Sirens - creatures with birds' bodies and women's faces.

Remembering Circe's warning, Odysseus had a clever idea.

"Plug your ears with wax!" he ordered! "But I want to hear the song! Tie me to the mast! No matter what I beg, DON'T untie me!"

The men plugged their ears with wax! They tied Odysseus firmly to the mast!

When they approached, the Sirens' song began.

It was the most beautiful music Odysseus had ever heard! It promised knowledge! Wisdom! Everything he'd ever desired!

"Odysseus!" sang the Sirens! "Come to us! We know everything! We know about Troy! About your future! Come!"

Odysseus fought against the ropes! "UNTIE ME! I MUST GO TO THEM!"

But the men, hearing nothing, rowed faster.

"PLEASE! UNTIE ME!" Odysseus begged! Tears flowed! The desire was unbearable!

But the men obeyed the original orders! They didn't untie him!

Finally, they passed the island! The song stopped!

Odysseus returned to normal! "You saved me! The song was... irresistible!"

But the next challenge was worse.

They reached the strait where Scylla and Charybdis lived.

On one side, Charybdis - a giant whirlpool that three times a day sucked in the entire sea and then spat it out! Any ship caught would be destroyed!

On the other side, Scylla - a horrible monster! She had six long necks! Each neck had a head with three rows of sharp teeth! She lived in a high cave on the cliff!

The strait was so narrow they couldn't avoid both.

"Circe said," thought Odysseus, "that Charybdis destroys the entire ship! But Scylla takes only six men! It's terrible... but better to lose six than everyone!"

Odysseus didn't tell the men about Scylla! He didn't want them to panic!

"Row close to the cliff!" he ordered! "Avoid the center!"

They rowed quickly! Charybdis roared on the other side - sucking and spitting water!

Then, from the shadows of the cliff, Scylla attacked.

Six heads descended like serpents! Each grabbed a man!

"CAPTAIN! HELP!" screamed the men as they were lifted!

Odysseus saw his companions being raised - still reaching their hands toward him, begging for salvation.

But there was nothing he could do.

Scylla pulled them into her cave! The screams echoed... then silence!

It was the most horrible sight Odysseus had ever witnessed.

The survivors rowed desperately! They escaped the strait!

But Odysseus was shattered! He had to choose which men would die!

"Rest, captain," said the remaining men! "You saved us! Without you, we all would have died!"

But Odysseus would never forget their faces! Their outstretched hands! Their screams!

The journey was taking a terrible toll.

They had started with 12 ships and hundreds of men.

Now they had 1 ship and only about 39 men!

But Ithaca was still distant.

And the worst trials were yet to come.