SAUSAGE-SELLER. But I offer you an entire cake. CLEON. But you cannot offer him stewed hare as I do. SAUSAGE-SELLER. Ah! great gods! stewed hare! where shall I find it? Oh! brain of mine, devise some trick! CLEON. Do you see this, poor fellow? SAUSAGE-SELLER. A fig for that! Here are folk coming to seek me. CLEON. Who are they? SAUSAGE-SELLER. Envoys, bearing sacks bulging with money. CLEON. (_Hearing money mentioned Clean turns his head, and Agoracritus seizes the opportunity to snatch away the stewed hare._) Where, where, I say? SAUSAGE-SELLER. Bah! What's that to you? Will you not even now let the strangers alone? Demos, do you see this stewed hare which I bring you? CLEON. Ah! rascal! you have shamelessly robbed me. SAUSAGE-SELLER. You have robbed too, you robbed the Laconians at Pylos. DEMOS. An you pity me, tell me, how did you get the idea to filch it from him? SAUSAGE-SELLER. The idea comes from the goddess; the theft is all my own. CLEON. And I had taken such trouble to catch this hare. SAUSAGE-SELLER. But 'twas I who had it cooked. DEMOS (_to Cleon_). Get you gone! My thanks are only for him who served it. CLEON. Ah! wretch! have you beaten me in impudence! SAUSAGE-SELLER. Well then, Demos, say now, who has treated you best, you and your stomach? Decide! DEMOS. How shall I act here so that the spectators shall approve my judgment? SAUSAGE-SELLER. I will tell you. Without saying anything, go and rummage through my basket, and then through the Paphlagonian's, and see what is in them; that's the best way to judge. DEMOS. Let us see then, what is there in yours? SAUSAGE-SELLER. Why, 'tis empty, dear little father; I have brought everything to you. DEMOS. This is a basket devoted to the people. SAUSAGE-SELLER. Now hunt through the Paphlagonian's. Well? DEMOS. Oh! what a lot of good things! Why! 'tis quite full! Oh! what a huge great part of this cake he kept for himself! He had only cut off the least little tiny piece for me. SAUSAGE-SELLER. But this is what he has always done. Of everything he took, he only gave you the crumbs, and kept the bulk. DEMOS. Oh! rascal! was this the way you robbed me? And I was loading you with chaplets and gifts! CLEON. 'Twas for the public weal I robbed. DEMOS (_to Cleon_). Give me back that crown;[130] I will give it to him. SAUSAGE-SELLER. Return it quick, quick, you gallows-bird. CLEON. No, for the Pythian oracle has revealed to me the name of him who shall overthrow me. SAUSAGE-SELLER. And that name was mine, nothing can be clearer. CLEON. Reply and I shall soon see whether you are indeed the man whom the god intended. Firstly, what school did you attend when a child? SAUSAGE-SELLER. 'Twas in the kitchens I was taught with cuffs and blows. CLEON. What's that you say? Ah! this is truly what the oracle said. And what did you learn from the master of exercises? SAUSAGE-SELLER. I learnt to take a false oath without a smile, when I had stolen something.