Retells a part of the Odyssey in which Ithaca, his wife, Penelope, and their son, Telemachus, are desperately warding off the men who want to marry her. Then a visit from a mysterious stranger gives Telemachus the courage to confront the suitors, and to search for his long-lost father.

Illustrations on lining papers.

Prologue -- Odysseus and Penelope -- Son of Odysseus -- Gray-eyed goddess -- Setting sail -- Search -- Old man of the sea -- Calypso's island -- Voyage -- Epilogue -- About Homer and the Odyssey -- Gods and goddesses of ancient Greece -- Main gods and goddesses: and pronunciation of their names -- Pronunciation guide: to other proper names -- Note on the sources -- About the author.