I finally awoke from the sweetest sleep I've had in the last 20 days to the shouts of many fair maidens, and I decided to go see if they could help my cause. So I stood up among the bushes, but noticing my lack of clothes, I grabbed a branch of a near olive tree and covered myself up so that I could be vaguely presentable. So as not to scare the girls anymore, for all but one of them had run off to hide, I decided to present my cause from afar. I explained my journey and asked for directions to the nearest city so that I could find some shelter and someone to help me. She replied, telling me that she was the princess of the Phaiakians and that she would give me food, drink, stuff to bathe with, and clothes as well as a ride to the city where I could meet her father, King Alkinoos and ask for help from him. She called to her maids who went to the cart and fetched olive oil for me to bathe in and clean clothes for when I was done. I went to the river, and for the first time in 20 days I was in water on my own accord. When I was done, I put on the clothes and went to the princess' cart where she was already packed up and ready to leave for the city. She told me that I would have to wait a while at the city gates before I went in because she didn't want any untrue rumors of her having a boyfriend (which wouldn't be true). I was given food and drink, which tasted amazing and, ravished with hunger, I gobbled it up like a lion with fresh meat. The princess lashed her donkeys and they started off with a canter, pulling the cart behind them, and me and the maids walking behind her in the dust. As we neared the gates, she pointed out the orchard of dear Athena where I would wait a while before following her into the city. Once I was in the city I would ask any person there for directions to the palace. So I wandered off into the orchard and sat down and prayed to Pallas Athena as the princess trotted off with her procession of maids close behind her.
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