digging in my
vineyard, and I think, but I am not sure, that I saw a child with a
herd of cattle. A babe he was, and he held a staff in his hand, and,
as he went, he wandered strangely from the path on either side."

Then Phoebus stayed not to hear more, for now he knew of a surety that
the new-born son of Zeus had done him the mischief. Wrapped in a
purple mist, he hastened to beautiful Pylos, and came on the track of
the cattle. "O Zeus!" he cried, "this is indeed a marvel. I see the
footprints of cattle, but they are marked as though the cattle were
going to the asphodel meadow, not away from it. Of man or woman, of
wolf, bear, or lion, I spy not a single trace. Only here and there I
behold the footprints of some strange monster, who has left his mark
at random on either side of the road." So on he sped to the woody
heights of Kyllene, and stood on the doorstep of Maia's cave.
Straightway the child Hermes nestled under the cradle-clothes in fear,
like a new-born babe asleep. But, seeing through all his craft,
Phoebus looked steadily through all the cave and opened three secret
places full of the food and drink of the gods, and full also of gold
and silver and raiment; but not a cow was in any of them. At last he
fixed his eyes sternly on the child, and said, "Wily babe, where are
my cows? If thou wilt not tell me, there will be strife between us;
and then I will hurl thee down to the gloomy Tartaros, to the land of
darkness, whence neither thy father nor thy mother can bring thee
back, and where thy kingdom shall be only over the ghosts of men."
"Ah!" said Hermes, "these are dreadful words, indeed; but why dost
thou chide me thus, or come here to look for cows? I have not seen or
heard of them, nor has any one told me of them. I can not tell where
they are, or get the reward, if any were promised, for discovering
them. This is no work of mine; what do I care for but for sleeping and
sucking, and playing with my cradle-clothes, and being washed in warm
water? My friend, it will be much better that no one should hear of
such a silly quarrel. The undying gods would laugh at the very thought
of a little babe leaving its cradle to run after cows. I was born but
yesterday. My feet are soft, and the ground is hard. But if it be any
comfort to thee, I will swear by my father's head (and that is a very
great oath) that I have not done this deed, nor seen any one else
steal your cows, and that I do not know what cows are."