clear-eyed Pallas thought of what came next,
to make Odysseus wake and see this young beauty
and she would lead him to the Phaeacians’ town.
The ball –
the princess suddenly tossed it to a maid
but it missed the girl, it splashed in a deep swirling pool
and they all shouted out –
and that woke great Odysseus.
– Homer
The Odyssey, Book 6, lines 124-129. Odysseus is wakened from his sleep when Nausicaa throws a ball to her handmaids and it splashes in a pool near him. This was done at Athena’s prompting, for she wants Nausicaa to lead Odysseus to the Phaeacians’ town. Here we have another example of gods controlling the fate of humans.