The next Island stop was Aeolus where the keeper of the wind lived with his happy family. Odysseus and his men stayed for a month and recovered. The king wishing them a speedy journey home bottled up all but the west wind and tied the winds into an ox hide bag which he gave to Odysseus as a gift.

The west wind blew and for days they travelled in a straight line for home. Eventually the land was in sight and Odysseus who was exhausted fell into a deep sleep. The men, who had carried the ox hide bag all the way, thought that it was great riches and opened the bag to have a look.