Chapter 174: The Bittern and the Hoopoe

The Bittern and the Hoopoe “Where do you like best to feed your flocks?” said a man to an old cowherd. “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…