Medea then led Jason down the palace steps , and through the silent streets of the city , and into the royal pasture ground , where the two brazen-footed bulls were kept . It was a starry night , with a bright gleam along the eastern edge of the sky , where the moon was soon going to show herself . After entering the pasture , the princess paused and looked around . `` There they are , '' said she , `` reposing themselves and chewing their fiery cuds in that farthest corner of the field . It will be excellent sport , I assure you , when they catch a glimpse of your figure . My father and all his court delight in nothing so much as to see a stranger trying to yoke them , in order to come at the Golden Fleece . It makes a holiday in Colchis whenever such a thing happens . For my part , I enjoy it immensely . You can not imagine in what a mere twinkling of an eye their hot breath shrivels a young man into a black cinder . '' `` Are you sure , beautiful Medea , '' asked Jason , `` quite sure , that the unguent in the gold box will prove a remedy against those terrible burns ? '' `` If you doubt , if you are in the least afraid , '' said the princess , looking him in the face by the dim starlight , `` you had better never have been born than to go a step nigher to the bulls . '' But Jason had set his heart steadfastly on getting the Golden Fleece ; and I positively doubt whether he would have gone back without it , even had he been certain of finding himself turned into a red-hot cinder , or a handful of white ashes , the instant he made a step farther . He therefore let go Medea 's hand , and walked boldly forward in the direction whither she had pointed . At some distance before him he perceived four streams of fiery vapor , regularly appearing and again vanishing , after dimly lighting up the surrounding obscurity . These , you will understand , were caused by the breath of the brazen bulls , which was quietly stealing out of their four nostrils , as they lay chewing their cuds . At the first two or three steps which Jason made , the four fiery streams appeared to gush out somewhat more plentifully ; for the two brazen bulls had heard his foot tramp , and were lifting up their hot noses to snuff the air . He went a little farther , and by the way in which the red vapor now spouted forth , he judged that the creatures had got upon their feet . Now he could see glowing sparks , and vivid jets of flame . At the next step , each of the bulls made the pasture echo with a terrible roar , while the burning breath , which they thus belched forth , lit up the whole field with a momentary flash . One other stride did bold Jason make ; and , suddenly as a streak of lightning , on came these fiery animals , roaring like thunder , and sending out sheets of white flame , which so kindled up the scene that the young man could discern every object more distinctly than by daylight .
Most distinctly XXXXX all he saw the two horrible creatures galloping right down upon him , their brazen hoofs rattling and ringing over the ground , and their tails sticking up stiffly into the air , as has always been the fashion with angry bulls .
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