「群れにえさをやるのにどこが一番好きかい？」と男が年とった牛飼いに言いました。「ここですよ、だんな、草が良すぎでも悪すぎでもないところですよ。でないと駄目です。」「どうして駄目なんだ？」と男が尋ねました。「あそこの草原からあの憂鬱な鳴き声が聞こえますか？あれはサンカノゴイですよ。サンカノゴイは昔牛飼いでした。ヤツガシラもそうでした。こんな話ですよ。サンカノゴイは群れを花がたくさん生えている豊かな緑の草原に放しました。それで牛たちは荒々しくて手に負えなくなりました。ヤツガシラは高いやせ地の山に牛を駆り立てました。そこでは風が砂と遊び、牛たちはやせて力が無くなりました。夕方になって牛飼いたちは牛を帰らせようとしましたが、サンカノゴイは二度と牛を集められませんでした。牛たちはあまりに元気がよすぎて逃げてしまったんですよ。サンカノゴイは『来い、牛よ、来い、』とよびましたが、無駄でした。牛は呼び声に全然注意しませんでした。だけど、ヤツガシラは牛たちの脚を立たすことすらできませんでした。とても弱ってしまったんですよ。『立て、立て、立て』とヤツガシラは叫びましたが、無駄でした。牛たちは砂にねたままでした。人がほどほどにやらないときそうなるんです。それで、今日まで、今は監視する群れもないけれどもサンカノゴイは『来い、牛よ、来い』と鳴くし、ヤツガシラは『立て、立て、立て』と鳴くんです。」
"Where do you like best to feed your flocks?" said a man to an old cow-herd. "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 cows became wild and unmanageable. The hoopoe drove his cattle on to high barren hills, where the wind plays with the sand, and his cows became thin, and got no strength. When it was evening, and the shepherds wanted to drive their cows homewards, the bittern could not get his together again; they were too high-spirited, and ran away from him. He called, "Come, cows, come," but it was of no use; they took no notice of his calling. The hoopoe, however, could not even get his cows up on their legs, so faint and weak had they become. "Up, up, up," screamed he, but it was in vain, they remained lying on the sand. That is the way when one has no moderation. And to this day, though they have no flocks now to watch, the bittern cries, "Come, cows, come," and the hoopoe, "Up, up, up."