THE BIRDS. 163

cloak? Not on the left like that; on the right.side
always. Democracy, what are you bringing us to,
when a fellow like that is put on an embassy?”
Triballian (to Poseidon, who ts trying to arrange his
cloak).. “ Hands off, will you?” ,
Pos. “Confound you!—the most barbarous god I
ever saw! Well, Hercules, what are we to do?”
Flercules. “ You heard my opinion. Throttle the
villain.”
Pos. “But we came to treat for a peace.”
Fler. “T don’t care. I say, throttle the villain.”
Plausible took no notice whatever of the new arri-
vals. “Give me the cheese-grater,’ he said to his
assistant. “Now a little cheese; now a blast with
the bellows.”
fer. “Man, we three gods greet you heartily.”
Plaus. “ Grate the cheese.”
Hercules, always a great eater, and now furiously
hungry, was profoundly interested. in the cooking,
_and could not help showing it. ‘What meat is this?”
Plaus. “Certain birds rebelled against the bird-
state, and were condemned to death.”
fler. “ And you are grating cheese over them.”
_ Plaus. “OQ my dear Hercules, how are you?
What brings you here?” ~
fer. “We have come from the gods to treat for
peace.”
A slave. “There is no oil in the flask, sir.”

Plaus. “Get some, my man; bird-meat must have
plenty of oil with it.”