forth his rod, and
_all_ the waters of Egypt, the streams, the rivers, the ponds, and the
pools became blood. Even the water in vessels of stone and wood was
ensanguined. The fish all died, and the river stank; and "there was
blood throughout all the land of Egypt." This was a good start, but the
magicians of Egypt beat it hollow; for, after Aaron had turned _all_ the
water of Egypt into blood, they turned the _rest_ into blood. No wonder
that Pharaoh's heart remained hardened! He quietly walked into his house
and let the subject drop.

Seven days later Moses went again to Pharaoh and said, "Thus saith
the Lord, let my people go." And Pharaoh said, "I won't." "Won't you?"
answered Moses, "we shall see." Forthwith Aaron stretched forth his rod
over the streams, rivers, and ponds, and brought on the second plague
in the shape of frogs, which swarmed all over the land. They entered the
houses, penetrated to the bedrooms, mounted the beds, slipped into the
kneading-troughs, and even got into the ovens, although one would expect
frogs to give such hot places a very wide berth. What a squelching
of frogs there must have been! The Egyptians could not have stood
absolutely still, and the land was covered with them. Still unfoiled,
the magicians, "with their enchantments, followed suit, and brought
up frogs too." Yet, as the land was already covered with frogs, it is
difficult to see how the new comers found room, unless they got on the
backs of the others, and went hopping about in couples. Pharaoh now
relented. He called for Moses, and said, "Intreat your Lord to take away
these nasty frogs, and I will let the people go." "That will I," said
Moses, "and you shall know that there is none like unto the Lord our
God." The next day the frogs died out of the houses, villages, and
fields, and were gathered into heaps, so that again "the land stank."
But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart
again, "as the Lord had said."

The third act of this tragi-comedy was decisive in one sense, for in
it the magicians of Egypt were obliged to retire from the competition.
Aaron stretched forth his rod again and smote the dust of the earth, all
of which instantly became _lice_, in man and in beast. Before this dirty
miracle the magicians of Egypt shrank dismayed. They made a feeble and
altogether unsuccessful attempt to imitate Aaron's performance, and then
drew back, declining to continue the contest. The lice settled t