THE BIRDS. 147

Plaus. “To begin with, you. birds must build one
great city and surround it with a wall of baked
bricks, just as if it were another Babylon. Then
you must send an embassy to Zeus and require him
to surrender the kingdom to you. If he refuses, or
makes any difficulty, you must forbid him and his
gods to pass through your domain on any errand or
pretext whatsoever. After this you must send a
herald to men, and bid them make their sacrifices
in future to you and not to the gods.”

K. H, “But will men really look upon us as gods
when they see us flying about and having wings?”

Plaus. “Why not? Does not Hermes use wings?
Hasn’t Victory pinions of gold? And Eros,! too?
And doesn’t Homer say that Iris flew like a ring-
dove?”

K. H. “But suppose Zeus should send his thun-
der, what then ?”’

Plaus. “Oh! we'llsoon teach them that we and not
the gods are the people to be feared. We will send
a flock of sparrows to eat up the grain in their
fields; and the ravens to pick out the eyes of their
sheep and their plough-oxen. Let Demeter feed the
_ men and Apollo heal the beasts— if they can!”

Flope. (interrupting). “Very good; but JI ‘should
like to sell my two bullocks before we try this.”

Plaus. “ But if, on the other hand, men have the
good sense to give you the honours that really belong

1 Cupid.