Between Italy and Sicily there is a strait of water guarded by monsters, whose names were Scylla and Charybdis. Scylla, a terrible sight, had the body of a woman, but ten feet and six necks with six heads. In all heads there were three rows of teeth. Charybdis was a rapid whirlpool who swallowed up unfortunate sailors. The ship of Ulysses closely avoided the greater danger by the greedy whirlpool, but Scylla snatched up six perilous sailors cruelly with her hands while Ulysses attempted to save his friends in vain.