And they told their exploits in detail, and how bravely they had borne themselves, magnifying it all.

[3] Cyrus heard their story through with a pleasant smile, and praised them for their work.
"I can see for myself," he said, "that you have done gallant deeds.

You seem to have grown taller and fairer and more terrible to look on than when we saw you last." [4] Then he made them tell him how far they had gone, and whether they had found the country inhabited.

They said they had ridden a long way, and that the whole country was inhabited, and full of sheep and goats and cattle and horses, and rich in corn and every good thing.
[5] "Then there are two matters," he said, "to which we must attend; first we must become masters of those who own all this, and next we must ensure that they do not run away.

A well-populated country is a rich possession, but a deserted land will soon become a desert.