Page:Key to Easy Latin Stories for beginners.djvu/56

 lived in the earth, the frog in the waters, while a bird was like a horse; that, lastly, they were surrendering their arrows, as it were their courage.’ But Gobrias, one of the seven men who had crushed the Magi, thought that the gifts had this meaning : ‘Unless the Persians, having become birds, were to fly away, or having turned into mice, were to go under the ground, or like frogs were to leap into the marshes, they would be slain by the arrows.‘

147.But the Scythians, having heard the name of slavery, did not restrain their anger. They sent messengers to the Danube, whom they ordered to come to a conference with the Ionians, who were guarding the bridge. Moreover, they determined to make an unexpected attack on the Persians when they were taking their food. Their cavalry indeed always put the cavalry of the Persians to flight: then the Scythians used to retire, fearing the infantry. The Scythians used to make like attacks by night.

148.A very odd thing was then useful to the Persians, but unfavourable to the Scythiansnamely, the braying of asses. For the land of Scythia produces neither ass nor mule. So the braying of the asses and the look of the mules used to terrify the Scythian cavalry. Moreover, it is well known that, when they were making an attack on the Persians, the horses, hearing the braying of the asses and seeing the mules, often betook themselves to flight.

149.Meanwhile (lit while these things are being done) the messengers of the Scythians reached the Danube, and said to the guards of the bridge as follows: ‘That they were come to promise thom liberty, if they were willing to leave the bridge. Let them cut the bridge, and go home. Thus the Persians would be destroyed, but liberty would be given to the lonians.’ When the lonians had promised to do this, the Scythians went away: for they thought that the Ionians would keep their promises.