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Chapter 2 A Monster in a Cave It was night when they arrived to the next island.
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In the morning they saw green trees, flowers and golden corn fields.
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Odysseus's men were very hungry and thirsty.
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We will find food and water here, said Odysseus.
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Twelve men left the ships and went with Odysseus.
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Soon they came to a very big hole in the hillside.
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It's a cave, said Odysseus.
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Perhaps someone lives here.
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Shhh!
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The twelve men and Odysseus walked into the cave.
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Suddenly they heard some sheep.
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At the back of the cave they saw them.
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There were about a hundred sheep.
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The men found lots of good food too.
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Let's take it all back to the ships, said one of the men.
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But Odysseus said no.
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You may eat just a little of the cheese.
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I want to find out who lives in this place.
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We may make friends with him.
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As night fell the hillside started to shake.
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Odysseus picked up his sword.
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Crash!
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Crash!
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A monster with huge hairy feet walked into the cave.
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At first the monster did not see Odysseus and his men.
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It started a fire and dragged a huge rock across the mouth of the cave to make a door.
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Then it saw Odysseus.
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Who are you?
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It yelled.
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Don't you know that this cave is my home?
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Why are you here?
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And why are you eating my food?
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The monster was huge.
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It had arms and legs like hairy trees.
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But that was not the worst thing.
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The worst thing was its one huge eye.
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Right in the middle of its forehead.
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Odysseus knew that this was a cyclops.
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We are Greek sailors.
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He said on our way home from Ttry.
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We're on this island because we must have food and water.
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Will you help us?
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I will not yelled the cyclops.
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I will not help Greek sailors.
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But I will eat them.
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The terrified men looked at the monster's big black teeth.
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The monster laughed and then lay down.
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But first I must sleep.
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It said and shot its one eye.
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When the cyclops began to snore Odysseus ran across the cave.
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He picked up a burning branch from the fire and pushed it into the face of the cyclops.
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The cyclops screamed.
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It jumped up and ran around the cave.
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It crashed into things and yelled in a voice that sounded like thunder.
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I can't see.
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I can't see.
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Where are you?
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You must be punished.
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It felt around the cave with its huge hairy hands.
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Where are you?
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I will.
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I will.
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I will.
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But Odysseus and the sailors were too fast for the cyclops.
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You will not catch us.
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They called out as they ran from the monster.
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But they could not leave the cave because of the huge rock.
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They ran around the cave until the cyclops was exhausted.
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And then when it was asleep again Odysseus made a plan.
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In the morning Odysseus watched as the monster woke up and had something to eat.
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As it ate, it yelled, I am blind.
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I can't see my food.
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I can't see my sheep.
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I can't see my hand.
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What good is an eye if it can't see?
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I will never be happy again.
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One of the men started to speak. But Odysseus said shh.
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I must let the sheep out, to find food.
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Said the cyclops.
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It went to the mouth of the cave and dragged the rock away.
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As the sheep ran out onto the hillside, the monster touched the wool on the back of each one and counted them.
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It heard the sound of their feet, but it did not see them.
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And it did not see Odysseus and his twelve sailors.
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Each man hid under a sheep, clinging to its wool as it ran out of the cave.
