The dragon had probably heard the voices; for, swift as lightning, his black head and forked tongue came hissing among the trees again, darting full forty feet at a stretch. As it approached, Medea tossed the contents of the gold box right down the monster's wide open throat. Immediately, with an outrageous hiss and a tremendous wriggle,--flinging his tail up to the tip-top of the tallest tree, and shattering all its branches as it crashed heavily down again,--the dragon fell at full length upon the ground, and lay quite motionless.