XANTHIAS. And I am the ass that carries the Mysteries;[411] but I've had
enough of it.
HERACLES. They will give you all the information you will need, for they
live close to Pluto's palace, indeed on the road that leads to it.
Farewell, brother, and an agreeable journey to you. (_He returns into his
Temple._)
DIONYSUS. And you, good health. Slave! take up your load again.
XANTHIAS. Before having laid it down?
DIONYSUS. And be quick about it too.
XANTHIAS. Oh, no, I adjure you! Rather hire one of the dead, who is going
to Hades.
DIONYSUS. And should I not find one....
XANTHIAS. Then you can take me.
DIONYSUS. You talk sense. Ah! here they are just bringing a dead man
along. Hi! man, 'tis you I'm addressing, you, dead fellow there! Will you
carry a package to Pluto for me?
DEAD MAN. Is't very heavy?
DIONYSUS. This. (_He shows him the baggage, which Xanthias has laid on
the ground._)
DEAD MAN. You will pay me two drachmae.
DIONYSUS. Oh! that's too dear.
DEAD MAN. Well then, bearers, move on.
DIONYSUS. Stay, friend, so that I may bargain with you.
DEAD MAN. Give me two drachmae, or it's no deal.
DIONYSUS. Hold! here are nine obols.
DEAD MAN. I would sooner go back to earth again.
XANTHIAS. Is that cursed rascal putting on airs? Come, then, I'll go.
DIONYSUS. You're a good and noble fellow. Let us make the best of our way
to the boat.
CHARON. Ahoy, ahoy! put ashore.
XANTHIAS. What's that?
DIONYSUS. Why, by Zeus, 'tis the mere of which Heracles spoke, and I see
the boat.
XANTHIAS. Ah! there's Charon.
DIONYSUS. Hail! Charon.
DEAD MAN. Hail! Charon.
CHARON. Who comes hither from the home of cares and misfortunes to rest
on the banks of Lethé? Who comes to the ass's fleece, who is for the land
of the Cerberians, or the crows, or Taenarus?
DIONYSUS. I am.
CHARON. Get aboard quick then.
DIONYSUS. Where will you ferry me to? Where are you going to land me?
CHARON. In hell, if you wish. But step in, do.
DIONYSUS. Come here, slave.
CHARON. I carry no slave, unless he has fought at sea to save his skin.
XANTHIAS. But I could not, for my eyes were bad.
CHARON. Well then! be off and walk round the mere.
XANTHIAS. Where shall I come to a halt?
CHARON. At the stone of Auaenus, near the drinking-shop.
DIONYSUS. Do you understand?
XANTHIAS. Perfectly. Oh! unhappy wretch that I am, surely, surely I must
have met something of evil omen as I came out of the house?[412]
CHARON. Come, sit to your oar. If there be anyone else who wants to
cross, let him hurry. Hullo! what are you doing?
DIONYSUS. What am I doing? I am sitting on the oar[413] as you told me.
CHARON. Will you please have the goodness to place yourself there,
pot-belly?
DIONYSUS. There.
CHARON. Put out your hands, stretch your arms.
DIONYSUS. There.
CHARON. No tomfoolery! row hard, and put some heart into the work!
DIONYSUS. Row! and how can I? I, who have never set foot on a ship?
CHARON. There's nothing easier; and once you're at work, you will hear
some enchanting singers.
DIONYSUS. Who are they?
CHARON. Frogs with the voices of swans; 'tis most delightful.
DIONYSUS. Come, set the stroke.
CHARON. Yo ho! yo ho!
FROGS. Brekekekex, coax, coax, brekekekekex, coax. Slimy offspring of the
marshland, let our harmonious voices mingle with the sounds of the flute,
coax, coax! let us repeat the songs that we sing in honour of the Nysaean
Dionysus[414] on the day of the feast of pots,[415] when the drunken
throng reels towards our temple in the Limnae.[416] Brekekekex, coax,
coax.
DIONYSUS. I am beginning to feel my bottom getting very sore, my dear
little coax, coax.
FROGS. Brekekekex, coax, coax.
DIONYSUS. But doubtless you don't care.
FROGS. Brekekekex, coax, coax.
DIONYSUS. May you perish with your coax, your endless coax!
FROGS. And why change it, you great fool? I am beloved by the Muses with
the melodious lyre, by the goat-footed Pan, who draws soft tones out of
his reed; I am the delight of Apollo, the god of the lyre, because I make
the rushes, which are used for the bridge of the lyre, grow in my
marshes. Brekekekex, coax, coax.
DIONYSUS. I have got blisters and my behind is all of a sweat; by dint of
constant movement, it will soon be saying....
FROGS. Brekekekex, coax, coax.
DIONYSUS. Come, race of croakers, be quiet.
FROGS. Not we; we shall only cry the louder. On fine sunny days, it
pleases us to hop through galingale and sedge and to sing while we swim;
and when Zeus is pouring down his rain, we join our lively voices to the
rustle of the drops. Brekekekex, coax, coax.
DIONYSUS. I forbid you to do it.
FROGS. Oh! that would be too hard!
DIONYSUS. And is it not harder for me to wear myself out with rowing?
FROGS. Brekekekex, coax, coax.
DIONYSUS. May you perish! I don't care.
FROGS. And from morning till night we will shriek with the whole width of
our gullets, "Brekekekex, coax, coax."
DIONYSUS. I will cry louder than you all.
FROGS. Oh! don't do that!
DIONYSUS. Oh, yes, I will. I shall cry the whole day, if necessary, until
I no longer hear your coax. (_He begins to cry against the frogs, who
finally stop._) Ah! I knew I would soon put an end to your coax.
CHARON. Enough, enough, a last pull, ship oars, step ashore and pay your
passage money.
DIONYSUS. Look! here are my two obols.... Xanthias! where is Xanthias?
Hi! Xanthias!
XANTHIAS (_from a distance_). Hullo!
DIONYSUS. Come here.
XANTHIAS. I greet you, master.
DIONYSUS. What is there that way?
XANTHIAS. Darkness and mud!
DIONYSUS. Did you see the parricides and the perjured he told us of?
XANTHIAS. Did you?
DIONYSUS. Ha! by Posidon! I see some of them now.[417] Well, what are we
going to do?
XANTHIAS. The best is to go on, for 'tis here that the horrible monsters
are, Heracles told us of.
DIONYSUS. Ah! the wag! He spun yarns to frighten me, but I am a brave
fellow and he is jealous of me. There exists no greater braggart than
Heracles. Ah! I wish I might meet some monster, so as to distinguish
myself by some deed of daring worthy of my daring journey.
XANTHIAS. Ah! hark! I hear a noise.
DIONYSUS (_all of a tremble_). Where then, where?
XANTHIAS. Behind you.
DIONYSUS. Place yourself behind me.
XANTHIAS. Ah! 'tis in front now.
DIONYSUS. Then pass to the front.
XANTHIAS. Oh! what a monster I can see!
DIONYSUS. What's it like?
XANTHIAS. Dreadful, terrible! it assumes every shape; now 'tis a bull,
then a mule; again it is a most beautiful woman.
DIONYSUS. Where is she that I may run toward her?
XANTHIAS. The monster is no longer a woman; 'tis now a dog.