At last Odysseus had returned home. Athene had made him into an old man so he could go into his house without the men wanting to marry his wife knowing he was there.

Penelope (his wife) took the old man to her room. She told him that her husband was dead and now she must decide who to marry. Odysseus asked her how she would choose.

Penelope told him that Odysseus had been great archer. He could take a bow and set twelve axes in a row. Each handle had a ring in it and he would fire the arrow through all the rings of the axes.

The man that can do that, I will marry.

She then told him of her dream. In her dream she had geese. She fed them but an eagle swooped down and killed them all. It then sat and sang.

Odysseus told her that it meant that Odysseus would come back and kill all the men who wanted to marry her.

Penelope asked one of her maids to look after Odysseus. As the maid did, she saw a scar and knew it was Odysseus. Odysseus told her not to tell anyone that he was home.

Odysseus returned to the hall. Telemachus, his son, was there. Take all the weapons but my bow and hide them Odysseus told him. Telemachus was to keep some for Odysseus and himself as well.

In the morning Odysseus went into the hall. The men who wanted to marry Penelope were there eating and drinking. When they saw the old man, they threw food and drink at him.

Penelope came to the hall. She told them of the task to see who would marry her. The men tried to shoot Odyssues' bow but however hard they tried they could not.

Penelope went back to her room. Odysseus told the maid to secretly lock the doors then he said to the men that he could shoot well when he was a boy. The men laughed! Telemachus told the men that they should let the old man have a go.

Slowly Odysseus let the arrow go. It flew through the rings on the axes and landed in the wall behind. The men were shocked.