STREPSIADES. Tell me then why, if these really are the Clouds, they so very much resemble mortals. This is not their usual form. SOCRATES. What are they like then? STREPSIADES. I don't know exactly; well, they are like great packs of wool, but not like women--no, not in the least.... And these have noses. SOCRATES. Answer my questions. STREPSIADES. Willingly! Go on, I am listening. SOCRATES. Have you not sometimes seen clouds in the sky like a centaur, a leopard, a wolf or a bull? STREPSIADES. Why, certainly I have, but what then? SOCRATES. They take what metamorphosis they like. If they see a debauchee with long flowing locks and hairy as a beast, like the son of Xenophantes,[505] they take the form of a Centaur[506] in derision of his shameful passion. STREPSIADES. And when they see Simon, that thiever of public money, what do they do then? SOCRATES. To picture him to the life, they turn at once into wolves. STREPSIADES. So that was why yesterday, when they saw Cleonymus,[507] who cast away his buckler because he is the veriest poltroon amongst men, they changed into deer. SOCRATES. And to-day they have seen Clisthenes;[508] you see ... they are women. STREPSIADES. Hail, sovereign goddesses, and if ever you have let your celestial voice be heard by mortal ears, speak to me, oh! speak to me, ye all-powerful queens. CHORUS. Hail! veteran of the ancient times, you who burn to instruct yourself in fine language. And you, great high-priest of subtle nonsense, tell us your desire. To you and Prodicus[509] alone of all the hollow orationers of to-day have we lent an ear--to Prodicus, because of his knowledge and his great wisdom, and to you, because you walk with head erect, a confident look, barefooted, resigned to everything and proud of our protection. STREPSIADES. Oh! Earth! What august utterances! how sacred! how wondrous! SOCRATES. That is because these are the only goddesses; all the rest are pure myth. STREPSIADES. But by the Earth! is our Father, Zeus, the Olympian, not a god? SOCRATES. Zeus! what Zeus? Are you mad? There is no Zeus. STREPSIADES. What are you saying now? Who causes the rain to fall? Answer me that! SOCRATES. Why, 'tis these, and I will prove it. Have you ever seen it raining without clouds? Let Zeus then cause rain with a clear sky and without their presence! STREPSIADES. By Apollo! that is powerfully argued! For my own part, I always thought it was Zeus pissing into a sieve. But tell me, who is it makes the thunder, which I so much dread? SOCRATES. 'Tis these, when they roll one over the other. STREPSIADES. But how can that be? you most daring among men! SOCRATES. Being full of water, and forced to move along, they are of necessity precipitated in rain, being fully distended with moisture from the regions where they have been floating; hence they bump each other heavily and burst with great noise. STREPSIADES. But is it not Zeus who forces them to move?