Perhaps she was going home to be milked . `` Cow , cow , cow ! '' cried Cadmus . `` Hey , Brindle , hey ! Stop , my good cow ! '' He wanted to come up with the cow , so as to examine her , and see if she would appear to know him , or whether there were any peculiarities to distinguish her from a thousand other cows , whose only business is to fill the milk-pail , and sometimes kick it over . But still the brindled cow trudged on , whisking her tail to keep the flies away , and taking as little notice of Cadmus as she well could . If he walked slowly , so did the cow , and seized the opportunity to graze . If he quickened his pace , the cow went just so much the faster ; and once , when Cadmus tried to catch her by running , she threw out her heels , stuck her tail straight on end , and set off at a gallop , looking as queerly as cows generally do , while putting themselves to their speed . When Cadmus saw that it was impossible to come up with her , he walked on moderately , as before . The cow , too , went leisurely on , without looking behind . Wherever the grass was greenest , there she nibbled a mouthful or two . Where a brook glistened brightly across the path , there the cow drank , and breathed a comfortable sigh , and drank again , and trudged onward at the pace that best suited herself and Cadmus . `` I do believe , '' thought Cadmus , `` that this may be the cow that was foretold me . If it be the one , I suppose she will lie down somewhere hereabouts . '' Whether it were the oracular cow or some other one , it did not seem reasonable that she should travel a great way farther . So , whenever they reached a particularly pleasant spot on a breezy hillside , or in a sheltered vale , or flowery meadow , on the shore of a calm lake , or along the bank of a clear stream , Cadmus looked eagerly around to see if the situation would suit him for a home . But still , whether he liked the place or no , the brindled cow never offered to lie down . On she went at the quiet pace of a cow going homeward to the barn yard ; and , every moment , Cadmus expected to see a milkmaid approaching with a pail , or a herdsman running to head the stray animal , and turn her back towards the pasture . But no milkmaid came ; no herdsman drove her back ; and Cadmus followed the stray Brindle till he was almost ready to drop down with fatigue .
`` O brindled cow , '' cried he , in a tone of despair , `` do you never mean XXXXX stop ? ''
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