Ulysses得到了風王的幫助，有望從無邊的大海中回到自己的家鄉。結果卻功虧一簣，是怎麼回事呢?我們一起來看看吧!
Long, long ago, there lived upon a little island a Greek king named Ulysses.
One time Ulysses sailed far away across the sea to fight for his country, and for ten long years he was away from his beautiful wife and his little son. At last the Greeks captured1 the city they were fighting against, and the war ended. "Now I can go back to my island home," said Ulysses,joyfully2, as he and his men set sail for home.
"Once more I can see my wife and son!" on the way, they stopped to rest at the home of a king named Eolus, who lived on an island in the sea. It was a wonderful island; all around it was a high wall of bronze. Eolus was king of the winds. He could make the winds sleep so soundly that the sea would be as smooth as glass, or he could make them blow so hard that the waves would be as high as mountains.
When Ulysses was ready to start on his way again, Eolus said, "I will help you to reach your home, Ulysses. I will put all the stormy winds in this great bag of ox-hide. Then they cannot harm you. I will the bag with this golden chain; but I will leave out the gentle west wind, do bear you safely home. Guard the bag of winds carefully. And do not let anyone untie3 the chain."
Then the west wind blew softly4 and sent them in safety on their way. For nine days and nine nights Ulysses guarded the bag of winds, until at last he became very tired and sleepy. Now the men with Ulysses did not know what was in the great bag. "See how he guards it!" they said. "Surely it has gold and silver in it, for it is tied with a golden chain. We helped Ulysses in the war; why should he have all the gold and the silver?"
At last, on the tenth day, they came in sight of their dear island. "Look, look!" cried the men, joyfully. "There are our green fields! Soon we shall see our homes." Then the weary5 Ulysses, thinking that he need not guard the bag any longer, fell fast asleep. "Now we can see what is in the bag!"
So they crept6 up to the bag and untied7 the golden chain. Out flew all the stormy winds,roaring8 and howling! In a moment, great waves arose and drove the ship far from the land. The noise of the winds and the waves awoke Ulysses. Where was his little island home? Where were the green fields he loved so well? They were far, far away, for the ship was out on the stormy sea.
"Oh, what shall I do?" cried Ulysses. "I fear that I shall never see my home again. But I must not give up; I will try again and again. Some day I may reach my home, and see my wife and son once more."
After a long time, the stormy winds drove the ship back to the island where Eolus lived. How glad Ulysses was when "Eolus can help us," he said. "He will the winds again" but Eolus was angry with Ulysses and his men. "Go away!" Eolus said. "I will not help you a second time, for it is your own fault that he stormy winds are out of the bag." So once more Ulysses set out upon the sea, and it was many long years before he saw his island home again.
詞彙積累
1 captured
俘獲( capture的過去式和過去分詞 ); 奪取; 奪得; 引起(注意、想像、興趣)
參考例句：
Allied troops captured over 300 enemy soldiers. 盟軍俘虜了300多名敵方士兵。
Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛亂分子被俘獲並解除了武裝。
2 joyfully
adv. 喜悅地, 高興地
參考例句：
She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高興地走着，腳底下輕飄飄的。
During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的幾周裏，她乾得很高興。
3 untie
vt.解開，鬆開;解放
參考例句：
It's just impossible to untie the 's too tight.這個結根本解不開。太緊了。
Will you please untie the knot for me?請你替我解開這個結頭，好嗎?
4 softly
adv.柔和地，靜靜地，溫柔地
參考例句：
He speaks too softly for her to hear.他講話聲音太輕，她聽不見。
She breathed her advice softly.她低聲勸告。
5 weary
adj.疲勞的，使人疲勞的';vi.厭煩，不耐煩
參考例句：
He has laid out all his strength and is weary.他使出了全部氣力，非常疲倦。
I am weary of his constant complaints.我對他不斷髮牢騷感到厭煩。
6 crept
v.躡手躡足地走( creep的過去式和過去分詞 );緩慢地行進;爬行;匍匐
參考例句：
I crept up the stairs, trying not to wake my parents. 爲了儘量不吵醒父母，我躡手躡腳地上了樓。
He had crept up on his unsuspecting victim from behind. 他從背後悄悄逼近了那毫無戒備的受害者。
7 untied
鬆開，解開( untie的過去式和過去分詞 ); 解除，使自由; 解決
參考例句：
Once untied, we common people are able to conquer nature, too. 只要團結起來，我們老百姓也能移山倒海。
He untied the ropes. 他解開了繩子。
8 roaring
n.吼聲;咆哮;怒號;轟鳴adj.興旺的;喧譁的;風哮雨嚎的adv.非常地v.怒吼，咆哮，大聲喊出( roar的現在分詞)
參考例句：
juggernauts roaring through country villages 隆隆駛過村莊的重型卡車
All we could hear was the sound of roaring water. 我們只能聽到洶涌澎湃的濤聲。
