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.”
