_Karion._ Then we went to the sacred enclosure of the god. And when on the altar the cakes and offerings were dedicated by the flame of murky Hephaistos, we laid down Ploutos, as was proper; and each of us made up from little odds and ends a bed for himself. _Wife._ Then were there certain others beside yourselves wanting the god? _Karion._ Yes, Neokleides, for one, and he is blind; but in stealing has far overshot those who can see; and there were many others with all sorts of ailments. But when the minister of the deity put out the lights and told us to go to sleep and said that we were to keep silent, if any of us perceived a noise, we all lay down in an orderly manner. And I was unable to sleep, for my attention was arrested by a certain pitcher of porridge a little way off from the head of a certain old woman, and I strangely desired to creep over to that pitcher. Then I looked up and saw the priest making a clean sweep of the cakes and dried figs from the sacred table. After this he went round all the altars in a circle to see if any cakes were left anywhere. Then he consecrated them into a certain wallet; and I, believing that there was great holiness in this proceeding, rise up to go to the pitcher of porridge. _Wife._ Oh you most miserable of men, were you not afraid of the god? _Karion._ Yes; by the gods I was afraid lest he with his fillets should reach the pitcher before me; for the priest had already given me a lesson. But, as soon as ever the old woman perceived the noise I made, she lifted up her hand over the pitcher (to protect it). Then I hissed and seized (her hand) by the teeth as if I were a reddish-brown snake. But she at once drew back her hand again and lay down peacefully, rolling herself up. And then I at once gulped down a lot of the porridge; and then, when I was full, I jumped up again. _Wife._ And didn’t the god come up to you? _Karion._ Not up to that time. After this I at once covered myself up, being afraid; but he made a complete circuit examining all the ailments in a most orderly fashion; and then a slave set by him a little mortar and box of stone. _Wife._ Of stone? _Karion._ No, by Zeus, certainly not,--at least, not the box. _Wife._ To the deuce with you, how did you see since you say you were covered up?