range my lines. All, as I now saw, were cavalry. She boasted that she had the Queen of the Amazons for leader of her female host. I, on the contrary, found Achilles and a stately Grecian cavalry. The armies stood facing each other, and one could see nothing more beautiful. They were not at all flat leaden horsemen like ours, but man and horse round and solid, and most finely wrought. Neither could one well conceive how they kept themselves balanced; for they stood up independently, without a base under their feet.
Now when each of us had surveyed our hosts with much self-satisfaction, she announced to me the moment of onset. We had also found missiles in our chests; they were little boxes full of well-polished agate balls. With these we were to fight against each other from a certain distance, while, however, it was an express condition that we were not to throw more violently than was necessary to upset the figures, for none of them were to be injured. Now the mutual cannonade began, and at first it succeeded to the satisfaction of both. But when my opponent observed that I aimed better than she, and at last should win the victory, which depended on the majority of those remaining upright, she came nearer, and her girlish throwing had then the desired result. She laid low a multitude of my best troops, and the more I protested the more eagerly did she shoot. This at last vexed me, and I explained that I would do the same. In fact, I not only came nearer, but in anger threw much more violently, so that it was not long before a pair of her little centauresses flew in pieces. In her eagerness she did not at once notice it; but I stood petrified when the broken figures joined together again of themselves, Amazon and horse again one whole, and at the same time became quite alive, galloped from the golden bridge under the lime-trees, and, careering swiftly hither and thither, disappeared at last against the wall, I know not how. My fair opponent had hardly perceived this, when she broke out into loud weeping and lamentation, and exclaimed that I had caused her an irreparable loss, which was far greater than could be uttered. But I, who was by this time provoked, was glad to annoy her, and blindly flung with force a couple of agate balls that I had left into the midst of her army. Unhappily I hit the queen, who, in our temperate sport, had hitherto been excepted. She flew in pieces, and her nearest officers were also shivered. But they swiftly set, themselves up again, and started off like the others, galloped very merrily about under the lime-trees, and disappeared against the wall.
My opponent scolded and abused me. But I now, once at work, stooped to pick up some agate-balls which rolled about upon the golden lances. It was my ferocious wish to destroy her whole host. She, on the other hand, not idle, sprang at me, and gave me a box on the ear, which made my head dizzy. I, who had always heard, that a downright kiss suits a girl's box of the ear, took her by the ears and kissed her over and over. But she gave such a piercing cry as frightened even me. I let her go, and it was my good-luck that I did so; for, in a moment, I knew not where I was, the ground beneath me began to quake and rattle. I soon remarked that the railings began to move again; but I had no time to consider, nor could I find footing to escape. I feared at every instant to be pierced, for the partisans and lances, which lifted themselves up, were already cutting my clothes. In fine, I know not how it was, my hearing and sight failed, and I recovered from my stupefaction and from my terror at the foot of a lime-tree, against which the pikes in springing up had thrown me. With my awakening my anger awakened also, which violently increased when I caught from the other side the gibes and laughter of my opponent, who had there reached the earth somewhat more nimbly than I. Upon this I sprung up, as I saw the little host, with its leader Achilles, scattered round me, having been driven over with me by the rising of the rails. I seized the hero first and threw him against a tree. His restoration and his flight now pleased me doubly, as the malicious pleasure was united with the enjoyment of the prettiest sight in the world; and I was on the point of sending all the other Greeks after him, when suddenly whizzing waters spurted at me on all sides, from stones and walls, from ground and branches; and wherever I turned, discharged at me with
