o go to heaven. Ah! poor orphans, entreat him, beseech
him.

LITTLE DAUGHTER Father! father! what is this I hear? Is it true? What!
you would leave me, you would vanish into the sky, you would go to the
crows?(1) 'Tis impossible! Answer, father, an you love me.

f(1) "Go to the crows," a proverbial expression equivalent
to our "Go to the devil."

TRYGAEUS Yes, I am going. You hurt me too sorely, my daughters, when you
ask me for bread, calling me your daddy, and there is not the ghost
of an obolus in the house; if I succeed and come back, you will have a
barley loaf every morning--and a punch in the eye for sauce!

LITTLE DAUGHTER But how will you make the journey? 'Tis not a ship that
will carry you thither.

TRYGAEUS No, but this winged steed will.

LITTLE DAUGHTER But what an idea, daddy, to harness a beetle, on which
to fly to the gods.

TRYGAEUS We see from Aesop's fables that they alone can fly to the abode
of the Immortals.(1)

f(1) Aesop tells us that the eagle and the beetle were at
war; the eagle devoured the beetle's young and the latter
got into its nest and tumbled out its eggs. On this the
eagle complained to Zeus, who advised it to lay its eggs in
his bosom; but the beetle flew up to the abode of Zeus, who,
forgetful of the eagle's eggs, at once rose to chase off the
objectionable insect. The eggs fell to earth and were
smashed to bits.

LITTLE DAUGHTER Father, father, 'tis a tale nobody can believe! that
such a stinking creature can have gone to the gods.

TRYGAEUS It went to have vengeance on the eagle and break its eggs.

LITTLE DAUGHTER Why not saddle Pegasus? you would have a more TRAGIC(1)
appearance in the eyes of the gods.

f(1) Pegasus is introduced by Euripides both in his
'Andromeda' and his 'Bellerophon.'

TRYGAEUS Eh! don't you see, little fool, that then twice the food would
be wanted? Whereas my beetle devours again as filth what I have eaten
myself.

LITTLE DAUGHTER And if it fell into the watery depths of the sea, could
it escape with its wings?

TRYGAEUS (EXPOSING HIMSELF) I am fitted with a rudder in case of need,
and my Naxos beetle will serve me as a boat.(1)

f(1) Boats, called 'beetles,' doubtless because in form they
resembled these insects, were built at Naxos.

LITTLE DAUGHTER And what harbour will you put in at?

TRYGAEUS Why is there not the harbour of Cantharos at the Piraeus?(1)