The Sacred Beetle and Others 



on the roof of the citadel, facing his opponent 

 all the time. If the latter raise himself in 

 order to scale the wall, the robber gives him 

 a blow that stretches him on his back. Safe 

 at the top of his fortress, the besieged Beetle 

 could foil his adversary's attempts in- 

 definitely if the latter did not change his 

 tactics. He turns sapper so as to reduce the 

 citadel with the garrison. The ball, shaken 

 from below, totters and begins rolling, carry- 

 ing with it the thieving Dung-beetle, who 

 makes violent efforts to maintain his position 

 on the top. This he succeeds in doing — 

 though not invariably — thanks to hurried 

 gymnastic feats which land him higher on the 

 ball and make up for the ground which he 

 loses by its rotation. Should a false move- 

 ment bring him to earth, the chances become 

 equal and the struggle turns into a wrestling- 

 match. Robber and robbed grapple with 

 each other, breast to breast. Their legs lock 

 and unlock, their joints intertwine, their horny 

 armour clashes and grates with the rasping 

 sound of metal under the file. Then the one 

 who succeeds in throwing his opponent and 

 releasing himself scrambles to the top of the 

 ball and there takes up his position. The 

 siege is renewed, now by the robber, now by 

 the robbed, as the chances of the hand-to-hand 



i6 



J 



