<h3><SPAN name="chap173"></SPAN>173 The Bittern and the Hoopoe</h3>
<p>“Where do you like best to feed your flocks?” said a man to an old
cow-herd. “Here, sir, where the grass is neither too rich nor too poor,
or else it is no use.” “Why not?” asked the man. “Do
you hear that melancholy cry from the meadow there?” answered the
shepherd, “that is the bittern; he was once a shepherd, and so was the
hoopoe also,—I will tell you the story. The bittern pastured his flocks
on rich green meadows where flowers grew in abundance, so his cows became wild
and unmanageable. The hoopoe drove his cattle on to high barren hills, where
the wind plays with the sand, and his cows became thin, and got no strength.
When it was evening, and the shepherds wanted to drive their cows homewards,
the bittern could not get his together again; they were too high-spirited, and
ran away from him. He called, “Come, cows, come,” but it was of no
use; they took no notice of his calling. The hoopoe, however, could not even
get his cows up on their legs, so faint and weak had they become. “Up,
up, up,” screamed he, but it was in vain, they remained lying on the
sand. That is the way when one has no moderation. And to this day, though they
have no flocks now to watch, the bittern cries, “Come, cows, come,”
and the hoopoe, “Up, up, up.”</p>
<div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />
1 of 2
2 of 2
Previous
Next
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.