THE LITTLE BOY AND THE BIG COW
ONCE upon a time there was a little boy who had a big cow, and he fed her and took good care of her and milked her twice a day. Everything went on very well until one morning he went out to milk her, and said:
“Hold still, my cow, my dearie,
And fill my bucket with milk,
And if you’ll not be contrary
I’ll give you a gown of silk.”
But the cow wouldn’t stand still. “Look at that, now!” said the little boy. “What am I to do with such a contrary cow?”
So off he went to his mother at the house. “Mother,” said he, “the cow won’t stand still, and I can’t milk her.”
“Well,” said his mother, “go to the cow, and tell her there’s a weary, weary lady with long yellow hair sits weeping for a sup of milk.”
Back he ran to the cow and repeated to her his mother’s words, but the cow wouldn’t stand still. Then he went to the house again and told his mother.
“Well,” said his mother, “tell the cow there’s a fine, fine laddie from the wars beside the weary, weary lady with golden hair, who is weeping for a sup of milk.”
Off he went and repeated to the cow his mother’s words, but she wouldn’t stand still, and he hurried to the house and told his mother.
“Well,” said his mother, “tell the cow there’s a sharp, sharp sword at the belt of the fine, fine laddie from the wars, who is beside the weary, weary lady with golden hair, who sits weeping for a sup of milk.”
He told the cow, but she wouldn’t stand still, and once more he came to the house to advise with his mother.
“Run quick,” said she, “and tell the cow that her head is going to be cut off by the sharp, sharp sword in the hands of the fine, fine laddie from the wars, if she doesn’t give the sup of milk for which the weary, weary lady weeps.”
The little boy went and told the cow, and she concluded she had better stand still. So the little boy milked the big cow, and the weary, weary lady with the golden hair stopped her weeping and got her sup of milk, and the fine, fine laddie from the wars did not have to cut off the cow’s head with his sharp, sharp sword. After that everything went well that didn’t go ill.
