who up to this time had been invisible, were revealed to his eyes.  “I heard a sound like that of thunder, which I at first took to be the noise of the flood-tide in the open sea; but the trees quivered, the earth trembled.  I uncovered my face, and I perceived that it was a serpent which was approaching.  He was thirty cubits in length, and his wattles exceeded two cubits; his body was incrusted with gold, and his colour appeared like that of real lapis.  He raised himself before me and opened his mouth; while I prostrated myself before him, he said to me:  ’Who hath brought thee, who hath brought thee, little one, who hath brought thee?  If thou dost not tell me immediately who brought thee to this island, I will cause thee to know thy littleness:  either thou shalt faint like a woman, or thou shalt tell me something which I have not yet heard, and which I knew not before thee.’  Then he took me into his mouth and carried me to his dwelling-place, and put me down without hurting me; I was safe and sound, and nothing had been taken from me.”  Our hero tells the serpent the story of his shipwreck, which moves him to pity and induces him to reciprocate his confidence.  “Fear nothing, fear nothing, little one, let not thy countenance be sad!  If thou hast come to me, it is the god who has spared thy life; it is he who has brought thee into this ’Isle of the Double,’ where nothing is lacking, and which is filled with all good things.  Here thou shalt pass one month after another till thou hast remained four months in this island, then shall come a vessel from thy country with mariners; thou canst depart with them to thy country, and thou shalt die in thy city.  To converse rejoices the heart, he who enjoys conversation bears misfortune better; I will therefore relate to thee the history of this island.”  The population consisted of seventy-five serpents, all of one family:  it formerly comprised also a young girl, whom a succession of misfortunes had cast on the island, and who was killed by lightning.  The hero, charmed with such good nature, overwhelmed the hospitable dragon with thanks, and promised to send him numerous presents on his return home.  “I will slay asses for thee in sacrifice, I will pluck birds for thee, I will send to thee vessels filled with all the riches of Egypt, meet for a god, the friend of man in a distant country unknown to men.”  The monster smiled, and replied that it was needless to think of sending presents to one who was the ruler of Puanit; besides, “as soon as thou hast quitted this place, thou wilt never again see this island, for it will be changed into waves.”—­“And then, when the vessel appeared, according as he had predicted to me, I went and perched upon a high tree and sought to distinguish those who manned it.  I next ran to tell him the news, but I found that he was already informed of its arrival, and he said to me:  ’A pleasant journey home, little one; mayst thou behold thy children again, and may thy name be well spoken of in thy town; such are my