The Birds - Page 2

tell us to go now?

PISTHETAERUS
It says that, by dint of gnawing, it will devour my fingers.

EUELPIDES
What misfortune is ours! we strain every nerve to get to the birds,[1] do everything we can to that end, and we cannot find our way! Yes, spectators, our madness is quite different from that of Sacas. He is not a citizen, and would fain be one at any cost; we, on the contrary, born of an honourable tribe and family and living in the midst of our fellow-citizens, we have fled from our country as hard as ever we could go. 'Tis not that we hate it; we recognize it to be great and rich, likewise that everyone has the right to ruin himself; but the crickets only chirrup among the fig-trees for a month or two, whereas the Athenians spend their whole lives in chanting forth judgments from their law-courts.[2] That is why we started off with a basket, a stew-pot and some myrtle boughs[3] and have come to seek a quiet country in which to settle. We are going to Tereus, the Epops, to learn from him, whether, in his aerial flights, he has noticed some town of this kind.

[1] Literally, 'to go to the crows,' a proverbial expression equivalent to our 'going to the devil.'

[2] They leave Athens because of their hatred of lawsuits and informers; this is the especial failing of the Athenians satirized in 'The Wasps.'

[3] Myrtle boughs were used in sacrifices, and the founding of every colony was started by a sacrifice.

PISTHETAERUS
Here! look!

EUELPIDES
What's the matter?

PISTHETAERUS
Why, the crow has been pointing me to something up there for some time now.

EUELPIDES
And the jay is also opening its beak and craning its neck to show me I know not what. Clearly, there are some birds about here. We shall soon know, if we kick up a noise to start them.

PISTHETAERUS
Do you know what to do? Knock your leg against this rock.

EUELPIDES
And you your head to double the noise.

PISTHETAERUS
Well then use a stone instead; take one and hammer with it.

EUELPIDES
Good idea! Ho there, within! Slave! slave!

PISTHETAERUS
What's that, friend! You say, "slave," to summon Epops! It would be much better to shout, "Epops, Epops!"

EUELPIDES
Well then, Epops! Must I knock again? Epops!

TROCHILUS
Who's there? Who calls my master?

PISTHETAERUS
Apollo the Deliverer! what an enormous beak![1]

[1] The actors wore masks made to resemble the birds they were supposed to represent.

TROCHILUS
Good god! they are bird-catchers.

EUELPIDES
The mere sight of him petrifies me with terror. What a horrible monster.

TROCHILUS
Woe to you!

EUELPIDES
But we are not men.

TROCHILUS
What are you, then?

EUELPIDES
I am the Fearling, an African bird.