Ulysses was a clever man. He wanted to go home to Ithaca after the long war in Troy. It was a dangerous journey across the sea, but the gods were watching.
One day, his ship arrived at a beautiful island. The king of this island was named Aeolus. He was the keeper of all the winds in the world. Aeolus liked Ulysses very much. He listened to all his stories for many days and nights.
When it was time to leave, Aeolus gave Ulysses a very special gift — a large leather bag. Inside the bag were all the bad winds. All the storms. All the dangerous gusts that could destroy a ship. He tied the bag very, very tightly with a silver rope.
"This will "keep you safe," said Aeolus. "I am also sending the West Wind to carry you home."
Ulysses was very happy. He thanked Aeolus and sailed away. For nine days and nine nights, everything was perfect. The West Wind pushed the ship gently toward Ithaca. Ulysses could almost see his home. He was so tired and so happy that he fell asleep.
This was a big mistake.
His sailors looked at the bag. They were curious. They were also a little jealous.
"What is inside?" one sailor whispered. "Maybe it is gold. Maybe Aeolus gave Ulysses treasure and told him nothing!"
The other sailors agreed. They wanted to look inside. So — quietly, carefully — they opened the bag.
Whoooooosh!
All the winds exploded out at once. A terrible storm filled the sky. The sea turned black and wild. The ship spun around and around. When the storm finally stopped, Ulysses opened his eyes and looked around.
He was right back where he started. Far, far from home.
He put his head in his hands. He wanted to cry. He wanted to shout. But he said nothing.
Sometimes, the biggest enemy on a long journey is not the storm.
It is yourself.