` Where are the cattle ? ' The young man gasped , and seemed as if he was unable to speak . At last he answered : ` It is always the same story ! The oxen are -- gone -- gone ! ' ` G-g-gone ? ' cried the herdsman . ` Scoundrel , you lie ! ' ' I am telling you the exact truth , ' answered the young man . ` Directly we came to the meadow they grew so wild that I could not keep them together . Then the big ox broke away , and the others followed till they all disappeared down a deep hole into the earth . It seemed to me that I heard sounds of bellowing , and I thought I recognised the voice of the golden horned ox ; but when I got to the place from which the sounds had come , I could neither see nor hear anything in the hole itself , though there were traces of a fire all round it . ' ` Wretch ! ' cried the herdsman , when he had heard this story , ` even if you did not lie before , you are lying now . ' ` No , master , I am speaking the truth . Come and see for yourself . ' ` If I find you have deceived me , you are a dead man , said the herdsman ; and they went out together . ` What do you call that ? ' asked the youth . And the herdsman looked and saw the traces of a fire , which seemed to have sprung up from under the earth . ` Wonder upon wonder , ' he exclaimed , ` so you really did speak the truth after all !
Well , I can not reproach you , though I shall have XXXXX pay heavily to my royal master for the value of that ox .
At If after for in into that though to upon