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| home:texts_and_library:dialogues:the-rooster [2019/07/06 12:33] – created frank | home:texts_and_library:dialogues:the-rooster [2019/07/06 12:37] (current) – [1] frank | ||
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| //Mi//. Detested bird! May Zeus crunch your every bone! Shrill, envious brute: to wake me from delightful dreams of wealth and magic blessedness with those piercing, deafening notes! Am I not even in sleep to find a refuge from Poverty, Poverty more vile than your vile self? Why, it cannot be midnight yet: all is hushed; numbness — sure messenger of approaching dawn — has not yet performed its morning office upon my limbs: and this wakeful brute (one would think he was guarding the golden fleece) starts crowing before night has fairly begun. But he shall pay for it.— Yes; only wait till daylight comes, and my stick shall avenge me; I am not going to flounder about after you in the dark. | //Mi//. Detested bird! May Zeus crunch your every bone! Shrill, envious brute: to wake me from delightful dreams of wealth and magic blessedness with those piercing, deafening notes! Am I not even in sleep to find a refuge from Poverty, Poverty more vile than your vile self? Why, it cannot be midnight yet: all is hushed; numbness — sure messenger of approaching dawn — has not yet performed its morning office upon my limbs: and this wakeful brute (one would think he was guarding the golden fleece) starts crowing before night has fairly begun. But he shall pay for it.— Yes; only wait till daylight comes, and my stick shall avenge me; I am not going to flounder about after you in the dark. | ||
| - | {{:images/200/the-cock.png?200x200|The poor cobbler Micyllus threatens to kill a rooster which has woken him from a dream of riches. The cockerel explains that he is a reincarnation of Pythagoras. He grants Micyllus the power of invisibility so he can show him the private life of the rich and prove the cobbler is far better off in his poverty.}} | + | {{:home: |
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| - | //Mi//. Why, to be sure, I have heard something like this before about a rooster. It was the story of a young man called Alectryon; he was a friend of Ares,— used to join in his revels and junketings, and give him a hand in his love affairs. Whenever Ares went to pay a sly visit to Aphrodite, he used to take Alectryon with him, and as he was particularly afraid that the Sun would see him, and tell Hephaestus, he would always leave Alectryon at the door, so that he might give him warning when the Sun was up. But one day Alectryon fell asleep, and unwittingly betrayed his trust; the consequence was that the Sun got a peep at the lovers, while Ares was having a comfortable nap, relying on Alectryon to tell him if any one came. Hephaestus heard of it, and caught them in that cage of his, which he had long had waiting for them. When Ares was released, he was so angry with Alectryon that he turned him into a rooster, armour and all, as is shown by his crest; and that is what makes you roosters in such a hurry to crow at dawn, to let us know that the Sun is coming up presently; it is your way of apologizing to Ares, though crowing will not mend matters now. | + | //Mi//. Why, to be sure, I have heard something like this before about a rooster. It was the story of a young man called Alectryon; he was a friend of Ares,— used to join in his revels and junketings, and give him a hand in his love affairs. Whenever Ares went to pay a sly visit to Aphrodite, he used to take Alectryon with him, and as he was particularly afraid that the Sun would see him, and tell Hephaestus, he would always leave Alectryon at the door, so that he might give him warning when the Sun was up. But one day Alectryon fell asleep, and unwittingly betrayed his trust; the consequence was that the Sun got a peep at the lovers, while Ares was having a comfortable nap, relying on Alectryon to tell him if anyone |
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| - | Health and strength, and a hardiness that sets cold at defiance. Your work keeps you keen-set; the ills that seem insuperable to other men find a tough customer in you. Why, no serious sickness ever comes near you: fever, perhaps, lays a light hand on you now and again; you let him have his way for a day or two, and then you are up again, and shake the pest off; he beats a hasty retreat, not liking the look of a man who drinks cold water at that rate, and has such a short way with the doctors. But look at the rich: name the disease to which these creatures are not subjected by their intemperance; | + | Health and strength, and a hardiness that sets cold at defiance. Your work keeps you keen-set; the ills that seem insuperable to other men find a tough customer in you. Why, no serious sickness ever comes near you: fever, perhaps, lays a light hand on you now and again; you let him have his way for a day or two, and then you are up again, and shake the pest off; he beats a hasty retreat, not liking the look of a man who drinks cold water at that rate, and has such a short way with the doctors. But look at the rich: name the disease to which these creatures are not subjected by their intemperance; |
| //Mi//. Shrewd, sensible fellows. | //Mi//. Shrewd, sensible fellows. | ||
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| //Mi//. There are two curling ones that hang down. | //Mi//. There are two curling ones that hang down. | ||
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| //Mi//. Rooster, you are a positive conjurer. Only give me the feather, and it shall not be long before Simon’s wealth shifts its quarters; I’ll slip in and make a clean sweep. His teeth shall tug leather again. | //Mi//. Rooster, you are a positive conjurer. Only give me the feather, and it shall not be long before Simon’s wealth shifts its quarters; I’ll slip in and make a clean sweep. His teeth shall tug leather again. | ||
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| //Mi//. Hermes, of all people, grudge a man a little thievery? I’ll not believe it of him. However, let us start; I promise not to touch the gold ... if I can help it. | //Mi//. Hermes, of all people, grudge a man a little thievery? I’ll not believe it of him. However, let us start; I promise not to touch the gold ... if I can help it. | ||
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| //Mi//. Better to be on the safe side. And it would look so bad to have one half of your tail gone and not the other. | //Mi//. Better to be on the safe side. And it would look so bad to have one half of your tail gone and not the other. | ||
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| - | //Mi//. Yes, yes, Simon first. Simonides it is, nowadays; two syllables is not enough for him since he has come into money.... Here we are; what do I do next? | + | //Mi//. Yes, yes, Simon first. Simonides it is, nowadays; two syllables is not enough for him since he has come into money... Here we are; what do I do next? |
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| - | //Si//. That seventeen thousand in the hole under my bed is safe enough; not a soul saw me that time. But I believe Sosylus caught me hiding the four thousand under the manger: he is not the most industrious of grooms, he was never too fond of work; but he //lives// in that stable now. And I expect that is not all that has gone, by a long way. What was Tibius doing with those fine great kippers yesterday? And they tell me he paid no less a sum than four shillings for a pair of earrings for his wife. God help me, it’s //my// money they’re flinging about. I’m not easy about all that plate either: what if some one should knock a hole in the wall, and make off with it? Many is the one that envies me, and has an eye on my gold; my neighbour Micyllus is as bad as any of them. | + | //Si//. That seventeen thousand in the hole under my bed is safe enough; not a soul saw me that time. But I believe Sosylus caught me hiding the four thousand under the manger: he is not the most industrious of grooms, he was never too fond of work; but he //lives// in that stable now. And I expect that is not all that has gone, by a long way. What was Tibius doing with those fine great kippers yesterday? And they tell me he paid no less a sum than four shillings for a pair of earrings for his wife. God help me, it’s //my// money they’re flinging about. I’m not easy about all that plate either: what if someone |
| //Mi//. Hear, hear! He is as bad as Simon; he walks off with other people’s pudding-basins under his arm. | //Mi//. Hear, hear! He is as bad as Simon; he walks off with other people’s pudding-basins under his arm. | ||
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| - | //Si//. There’s nothing like sitting up, and having everything under one’s own eye. I’ll jump up and go my rounds.... You there! you burglar! I see you.... Ah, it is but a post; all is well. I’ll pull up the gold and count it again; I may have missed something just now.... Hark! a step! I knew it; he is upon me! I am beset with enemies. The world conspires against me. Where is my dagger? Only let me catch ...— I’ll put the gold back. | + | //Si//. There’s nothing like sitting up, and having everything under one’s own eye. I’ll jump up and go my rounds... You there! you burglar! I see you... Ah, it is but a post; all is well. I’ll pull up the gold and count it again; I may have missed something just now... Hark! a step! I knew it; he is upon me! I am beset with enemies. The world conspires against me. Where is my dagger? Only let me catch ...— I’ll put the gold back. |
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| //Mi//. The worm! what a life! I wish all my enemies such wealth as his. I’ll just lend him a box on the ear, and then I am ready. | //Mi//. The worm! what a life! I wish all my enemies such wealth as his. I’ll just lend him a box on the ear, and then I am ready. | ||
| - | //Si//. Who was that? Some one struck me! Ah! I am robbed! | + | //Si//. Who was that? Someone |
| - | //Mi//. Whine away, Simon, and sit up of nights till you are as yellow as the gold you clutch.— I should like to go to Gniphon the usurer’s next; it is quite close.... Again the door opens to us. | + | //Mi//. Whine away, Simon, and sit up of nights till you are as yellow as the gold you clutch.— I should like to go to Gniphon the usurer’s next; it is quite close... Again the door opens to us. |
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| - | //Mi//. Senseless brute! it will hardly be a change for the worse. He, like Simon, is pretty well thinned down by his calculations. Let us try some one else. | + | //Mi//. Senseless brute! it will hardly be a change for the worse. He, like Simon, is pretty well thinned down by his calculations. Let us try someone |
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home/texts_and_library/dialogues/the-rooster.1562434389.txt.gz · Last modified: 2019/07/06 12:33 by frank