` Well , come with me , ' said the youth . By this time it was evening and the dusk was falling . The young man brought the herdsman to the foot of the great rock , but it was so dark you could hardly see . Still the sound of sheep bells rang softly from above , and the herdsman knew them to be those he had hung on the horns of his ram . ` Do you hear ? ' asked the youth . ` Yes , I hear ; you have spoken the truth , and I can not blame you for what has happened . I must bear the loss as best as I can . ' He turned and went home , followed by the young man , who felt highly pleased with his own cleverness . ' I should not be surprised if the tasks I set you were too difficult , and that you were tired of them , ' said the herdsman next morning ; ` but to-day I have something quite easy for you to do . You must look after forty oxen , and be sure you are very careful , for one of them has gold-tipped horns and hoofs , and the king reckons it among his greatest treasures . ' The young man drove out the oxen into the meadow , and no sooner had they got there than , like the sheep and the pigs , they began to scamper in all directions , the precious bull being the wildest of all . As the youth stood watching them , not knowing what to do next , it came into his head that his father 's cow was put out to grass at no great distance ; and he forthwith made such a noise that he quite frightened the oxen , who were easily persuaded to take the path he wished . When they heard the cow lowing they galloped all the faster , and soon they all arrived at his father 's house . The old man was standing before the door of his hut when the great herd of animals dashed round a corner of the road , with his son and his own cow at their head . ` Whose cattle are these , and why are they here ? ' he asked ; and his son told him the story . ` Take them back to your master as soon as you can , ' said the old man ; but the son only laughed , and said : ` No , no ; they are a present to you ! They will make you fat ! ' For a long while the old man refused to have anything to do with such a wicked scheme ; but his son talked him over in the end , and they killed the oxen as they had killed the sheep and the pigs .
Last of all they came XXXXX the king 's cherished ox .
For after among by like of on that to while