DEMOS. By Demeter! I do not understand a word of it. What connection is there between Erectheus, the jays and the dog? CLEON. 'Tis I who am the dog, since I bark in your defence. Well! Phoebus commands you to keep and cherish your dog. SAUSAGE-SELLER. 'Tis not so spoken by the god; this dog seems to me to gnaw at the oracles as others gnaw at doorposts. Here is exactly what Apollo says of the dog. DEMOS. Let us hear, but I must first pick up a stone; an oracle which speaks of a dog might bite me. SAUSAGE-SELLER. "Son of Erectheus, beware of this Cerberus that enslaves freemen; he fawns upon you with his tail, when you are dining, but he is lying in wait to devour your dishes, should you turn your head an instant; at night he sneaks into the kitchen and, true dog that he is, licks up with one lap of his tongue both your dishes and ... the islands."[114] DEMOS. Faith, Glanis, you speak better than your brother. CLEON. Condescend again to hear me and then judge: "A woman in sacred Athens will be delivered of a lion, who shall fight for the people against clouds of gnats with the same ferocity as if he were defending his whelps; care ye for him, erect wooden walls around him and towers of brass." Do you understand that? DEMOS. Not the least bit in the world. CLEON. The god tells you here to look after me, for, 'tis I who am your lion. DEMOS. How! You have become a lion and I never knew a thing about it? SAUSAGE-SELLER. There is only one thing which he purposely keeps from you; he does not say what this wall of wood and brass is in which Apollo warns you to keep and guard him. DEMOS. What does the god mean, then? SAUSAGE-SELLER. He advises you to fit him into a five-holed wooden collar. DEMOS. Hah! I think that oracle is about to be fulfilled. CLEON. Do not believe it; these are but jealous crows, that caw against me; but never cease to cherish your good hawk; never forget that he brought you those Lacedaemonian fish, loaded with chains.[115] SAUSAGE-SELLER. Ah! if the Paphlagonian ran any risk that day, 'twas because he was drunk. Oh, too credulous son of Cecrops,[116] do you accept that as a glorious exploit? A woman would carry a heavy burden if only a man had put it on her shoulders. But to fight! Go to! he would shit himself, if ever it came to a tussle. CLEON. Note this Pylos in front of Pylos, of which the oracle speaks, "Pylos is before Pylos."[117] DEMOS. How "in front of Pylos"? What does he mean by that? SAUSAGE-SELLER. He says he will seize upon your bath-tubs.[118] DEMOS. Then I shall not bathe to-day. SAUSAGE-SELLER. No, as he has stolen our baths. But here is an oracle about the fleet, to which I beg your best attention. DEMOS. Read on! I am listening; let us first see how we are to pay our sailors.[119]