SOSIAS. What's the matter? BDELYCLEON. Methought I heard talking close to me. SOSIAS. Is the old man at it again, escaping through some loophole? BDELYCLEON. No, by Zeus! no, but he is letting himself down by a rope. SOSIAS. Ha, rascal! what are you doing there? You shall not descend. BDELYCLEON. Mount quick to the other window, strike him with the boughs that hang over the entrance; perchance he will turn back when he feels himself being thrashed. PHILOCLEON. To the rescue! all you, who are going to have lawsuits this year--Smicythion, Tisiades, Chremon and Pheredipnus. 'Tis now or never, before they force me to return, that you must help. CHORUS. Why do we delay to let loose that fury, that is so terrible, when our nests are attacked? I feel my angry sting is stiffening, that sharp sting, with which we punish our enemies. Come, children, cast your cloaks to the winds, run, shout, tell Cleon what is happening, that he may march against this foe to our city, who deserves death, since he proposes to prevent the trial of lawsuits. BDELYCLEON. Friends, listen to the truth, instead of bawling. CHORUS. By Zeus! we will shout to heaven and never forsake our friend. Why, this is intolerable, 'tis manifest tyranny. Oh! citizens, oh! Theorus,[58] the enemy of the gods! and all you flatterers, who rule us! come to our aid. XANTHIAS. By Heracles! they have stings. Do you see them, master? BDELYCLEON. 'Twas with these weapons that they killed Philippus the son of Gorgias[59] when he was put on trial. CHORUS. And you too shall die. Turn yourselves this way, all, with your stings out for attack and throw yourselves upon him in good and serried order, and swelled up with wrath and rage. Let him learn to know the sort of foes he has dared to irritate. XANTHIAS. The fight will be fast and furious, by great Zeus! I tremble at the sight of their stings. CHORUS. Let this man go, unless you want to envy the tortoise his hard shell. PHILOCLEON. Come, my dear companions, wasps with relentless hearts, fly against him, animated with your fury. Sting him in the back, in his eyes and on his fingers. BDELYCLEON. Midas, Phryx, Masyntias, here! Come and help. Seize this man and hand him over to no one, otherwise you shall starve to death in chains. Fear nothing, I have often heard the crackling of fig-leaves in the fire.[60] CHORUS. If you won't let him go, I shall bury this sting in your body. PHILOCLEON. Oh, Cecrops, mighty hero with the tail of a dragon! Seest thou how these barbarians ill-use me--me, who have many a time made them weep a full bushel of tears? CHORUS. Is not old age filled with cruel ills? What violence these two slaves offer to their old master! they have forgotten all bygones, the fur-coats and the jackets and the caps he bought for them; in winter he watched that their feet should not get frozen. And only see them now; there is no gentleness in their look nor any recollection of the slippers of other days.