The Herdsman and the Lost
Bull
A Herdsman
tending his flock
in a forest lost a Bull-calf from the fold.
After a
long and fruitless
search, he made a vow that, if he could only discover the thief who had
stolen the Calf, he would offer a lamb in sacrifice to Hermes, Pan, and
the Guardian Deities of the forest.
Not long
afterwards, as he
ascended a small hillock, he saw at its foot a Lion feeding on the
Calf.
Terrified
at the sight, he
lifted his eyes and his hands to heaven, and said:
"Just now I
vowed to offer
a lamb to the Guardian Deities of the forest if I could only find out
who
had robbed me; but now that I have discovered the thief, I would
willingly
add a full-grown Bull to the Calf I have lost, if I may only secure my
own escape from him in safety."
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