The Sphinx—"My feet cannot raise themselves. The lichen, like a ringworm, has grown over my mouth. By dint of thinking, I have no longer anything to say."
The Chimera—"You lie, hypocritical Sphinx! How is it that you are always addressing me and abjuring me?"
The Sphinx—"It is you, unmanageable caprice, who pass and whirl about."
The Chimera—"Is that my fault? Come, now, just let me be!"
It barks.
The Sphinx—"You move away; you avoid me!"
The Sphinx grumbles.
The Chimera—"Let us make the attempt! You crush me!"
The Sphinx—"No; impossible!"
And sinking, little by little, it disappears in the sand, while the Chimera, crawling, with its tongue out, departs with a winding movement.