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.”