1
POSEIDON
Is it a woman you love, Alpheus, or a Nymph or a Nereid from the sea?
ALPHEUS
No, Poseidon, a fountain.
POSEIDON
And where on earth does she have her waters?
5
ALPHEUS
In an island—in Sicily; they call her Arethusa.
POSEIDON
I know Arethusa, and she’s not at all bad-looking. She’s translucent and gushes up pure. Her water makes a pretty picture along with her pebbles, all of it gleaming above them like silver.
ALPHEUS
You certainly do know my fountain, Poseidon. Well, I’m off to her.
POSEIDON
Off with you, then, and good luck in your love. But tell me, where did you see her? You’re from Arcadia, and she’s at Syracuse.
ALPHEUS
I’m in a hurry, Poseidon, and you’re delaying me with these pointless questions.
POSEIDON
Well spoken. Away with you to your beloved, come up from the sea, mingle with your fountain and become one water.
5
MENELAUS
I’m willing to believe you turn into water, Proteus, since you come from the sea, and I can even put up with your becoming a tree, and even your changing into a lion is not quite beyond the bounds of belief—but that you can actually become fire, although you live in the sea, I find quite amazing and incredible.
PROTEUS
Well you mustn’t, Menelaus, for it’s true enough.
MENELAUS
I saw it with my own eyes. But I’ll tell you what I think. I think it’s all a trick, and you cheat the eyes of the onlookers, and don’t turn into any of these things.
