But Cadmus toiled and tugged , and after pounding the monstrous head almost to pieces with a great stone , he at last collected as many teeth as might have filled a bushel or two . The next thing was to plant them . This , likewise , was a tedious piece of work , especially as Cadmus was already exhausted with killing the dragon and knocking his head to pieces , and had nothing to dig the earth with , that I know of , unless it were his sword blade . Finally , however , a sufficiently large tract of ground was turned up , and sown with this new kind of seed ; although half of the dragon 's teeth still remained to be planted some other day . Cadmus , quite out of breath , stood leaning upon his sword , and wondering what was to happen next . He had waited but a few moments , when he began to see a sight , which was as great a marvel as the most marvelous thing I ever told you about . The sun was shining slantwise over the field , and showed all the moist , dark soil just like any other newly-planted piece of ground . All at once , Cadmus fancied he saw something glisten very brightly , first at one spot , then at another , and then at a hundred and a thousand spots together . Soon he perceived them to be the steel heads of spears , sprouting up everywhere like so many stalks of grain , and continually growing taller and taller . Next appeared a vast number of bright sword blades , thrusting themselves up in the same way . A moment afterwards , the whole surface of the ground was broken by a multitude of polished brass helmets , coming up like a crop of enormous beans . So rapidly did they grow , that Cadmus now discerned the fierce countenance of a man beneath every one . In short , before he had time to think what a wonderful affair it was , he beheld an abundant harvest of what looked like human beings , armed with helmets and breastplates , shields , swords , and spears ; and before they were well out of the earth , they brandished their weapons , and clashed them one against another , seeming to think , little while as they had yet lived , that they had wasted too much of life without a battle . Every tooth of the dragon had produced one of these sons of deadly mischief . Up sprouted also a great many trumpeters ; and with the first breath that they drew , they put their brazen trumpets to their lips , and sounded a tremendous and ear-shattering blast , so that the whole space , just now so quiet and solitary , reverberated with the clash and clang of arms , the bray of warlike music , and the shouts of angry men . So enraged did they all look , that Cadmus fully expected them to put the whole world to the sword . How fortunate would it be for a great conqueror , if he could get a bushel of the dragon 's teeth to sow ! `` Cadmus , '' said the same voice which he had before heard , `` throw a stone into the midst of the armed men . '' So Cadmus seized a large stone , and flinging it into the middle of the earth army , saw it strike the breastplate of a gigantic and fierce-looking warrior . Immediately on feeling the blow , he seemed to take it for granted that somebody had struck him ; and , uplifting his weapon , he smote his next neighbor a blow that cleft his helmet asunder , and stretched him on the ground .
In an instant , those nearest the fallen warrior began to strike at one another with their swords , and stab with their XXXXX .
Cadmus bray breastplate breastplates day first slantwise spears stalks trumpeters