The Herdsman and the Lost Bull 牧人和丟失的牛
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."
牧人在樹林中放牛，不幸丟失了一頭離群的小牛犢。他在樹林中到處尋找，一無所獲。 他發誓，只要能發現偷小牛犢的賊，他愿意供奉樹林守護神一只羊。過了一會兒，當他走上 小山丘時，忽然看見山下有只獅子正在吃他的小牛犢。他嚇得舉起雙手，仰望著天空，向天 祈求說：“我剛發
誓，如果捉到偷牛犢的賊，我愿供奉一只羊給樹林守護神。現在那賊已發 現，我愿意失去那只小牛犢，并再添上一只大牛，只要我自己能安全逃離獅子。”
這是說，有些人在強大的敵人面前嚇破了膽，忘掉了自己的誓言。
本文地址：http://www.hengchuai.cn/writing/story/28696.html
