 Now he makes a speech in which he announces that he is going to grind all the cities of Greece in a mortar, having plagued them for ten years.However, a series of puns on the names of the cities undermines his fearsome threat, making it appear as if he is preparing a relish for a feast.Sending Tumult to obtain a pestle sufficient for the task, he withdraws to the "house of Zeus" and does not reappear, though his potential return is a threat throughout the play.