And here he was , after all his toils and troubles , in a solitary place , with not a single human being to help him build a hut . `` What shall I do ? '' cried he aloud . `` It were better for me to have been devoured by the dragon , as my poor companions were . '' `` Cadmus , '' said a voice but whether it came from above or below him , or whether it spoke within his own breast , the young man could not tell -- `` Cadmus , pluck out the dragon 's teeth , and plant them in the earth . '' This was a strange thing to do ; nor was it very easy , I should imagine , to dig out all those deep-rooted fangs from the dead dragon 's jaws . 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 XXXXX the clash and clang of arms , the bray of warlike music , and the shouts of angry men .
In at before beneath from like of to unless with