most secret chambers;
legions of other frogs followed those which had first appeared; they
were found in the houses, in the kneading-troughs, in the ovens, in the
coffers; no one could step anywhere without crushing some. As if moved
by springs, they jumped between peoples' legs, to the right and the
left, forward and backward; as far as the eye could reach, they were
seen rippling, hopping, jumping past one another, for they already
lacked room, and their numbers grew, their ranks became denser, they
formed heaps here and there; innumerable green backs turned the
countryside into a sort of animated green meadow, on which their yellow
eyes shone like flowers. The animals,--horses, asses, goats,--terrified
and startled, fled across the fields, but everywhere came upon the
loathsome swarms.

The Pharaoh, who from the threshold of his palace beheld this rising
tide of frogs with weariness and disgust, crushed as many as he could
with the end of his sceptre and pushed back the others with his curved
sandals, but his labour was lost; more frogs came no one knew whence,
and took the places of the dead, swarming more than they did, croaking
more than they did, more loathsome, more uncomfortable, bolder, showing
the vertebrae on their backs, staring at him with their big, round eyes,
spreading out their webbed feet, wrinkling the white skin of their
throats. The vile animals seemed endowed with intelligence, and they
formed denser shoals around the King than anywhere else.

The swarming flood grew and still grew: on the knees of the colossi, on
the cornices of the palaces, on the backs of the sphinxes, on the
entablatures of the temples, on the shoulders of the gods, on the
pyramidions of the obelisks, the hideous reptiles, with swollen backs
and indrawn feet, had taken up their places. The ibises, which at first
had rejoiced at this unexpected treat, and had lanced them with their
long beaks, now alarmed by this mighty invasion fled to the upper
regions of the sky, snapping their long bills.

Aharon and Mosche triumphed. Ennana, having been summoned, was sunk in
thought; his finger, placed upon his bald brow, his eyes half-closed, he
seemed to be seeking within his memory for a forgotten magic formula.

The Pharaoh, somewhat uneasy, turned towards him. "Well, Ennana, have
you lost your mind by dint of thought? Is this wonder beyond the reach
of your wisdom?"

"In no wise, O King; but when a man is engaged in measuring th