The water of this fountain , as it spouted upward , was constantly taking new shapes , not very distinctly , but plainly enough for a nimble fancy to recognize what they were . Now it was the shape of a man in a long robe , the fleecy whiteness of which was made out of the fountain 's spray ; now it was a lion , or a tiger , or a wolf , or an ass , or , as often as anything else , a hog , wallowing in the marble basin as if it were his sty . It was either magic or some very curious machinery that caused the gushing waterspout to assume all these forms . But , before the strangers had time to look closely at this wonderful sight , their attention was drawn off by a very sweet and agreeable sound . A woman 's voice was singing melodiously in another room of the palace , and with her voice was mingled the noise of a loom , at which she was probably seated , weaving a rich texture of cloth , and intertwining the high and low sweetness of her voice into a rich tissue of harmony . By and by , the song came to an end ; and then , all at once , there were several feminine voices , talking airily and cheerfully , with now and then a merry burst of laughter , such as you may always hear when three or four young women sit at work together . `` What a sweet song that was ! '' exclaimed one of the voyagers . `` Too sweet , indeed , '' answered Eurylochus , shaking his head . `` Yet it was not so sweet as the song of the Sirens , those bird-like damsels who wanted to tempt us on the rocks , so that our vessel might be wrecked , and our bones left whitening along the shore . '' `` But just listen to the pleasant voices of those maidens , and that buzz of the loom , as the shuttle passes to and fro , '' said another comrade . `` What a domestic , household , home-like sound it is ! Ah , before that weary siege of Troy , I used to hear the buzzing loom and the women 's voices under my own roof . Shall I never hear them again ? nor taste those nice little savory dishes which my dearest wife knew how to serve up ? '' `` Tush ! we shall fare better here , '' said another . `` But how innocently those women are babbling together , without guessing that we overhear them ! And mark that richest voice of all , so pleasant and so familiar , but which yet seems to have the authority of a mistress among them . Let us show ourselves at once .
What harm can the lady XXXXX the palace and her maidens do to mariners and warriors like us ? ''
along among as at by in of that under with