CYNEGETICA, I. 487-518 



he has come very far from the city and the gates, 

 then he digs a trench and buries the hare. Return- 

 ing back to the city, he straightway brings nigh the 

 path the cunning dog ; and immediately it is excited 

 and snorts at the scent of the hare, and seeks the 

 track upon the ground, but for all its eagerness is 

 not able to find it and roams about in great distress. 

 Even as when a girl in the tenth lunar month, 

 smitten by the birth-pangs of her first child, undoes 

 her hair and undoes the draper)' of her breasts and, 

 poor girl, without tunic and without snood, roams 

 everj-where about the house, and in her anguish now 

 goes to the hall and anon rushes to her bed, and 

 sometimes throws herself in the dust and mars her 

 rosy cheeks ; so the dog, distressed by devouring 

 grief, rushes this way and that and searches every 

 stone in turn and every knoll and every path and trees 

 and garden \-ines and dykes and threshing-floors. 

 And when at last he hits the airy trail, he gives 

 tongue and whines for joy ; even as the httle calves 

 leap about the uddered cows, so the dog rejoices 

 exceedingly, and in haste he winds his way over the 

 mazy fields ; nor couldst thou lead him astray, even 

 if thou shouldst then drive him very far, but he 

 runs straight on, holding steadfastly to the sweet 

 scent, until he reaches the end of his labour and to 

 his goal. But if thou wert to array him against the 

 hare difficult of capture, stealthily he draws nigh, 

 planting step on step, hiding low under \ines or 

 stubble, even as the robber thief of kids who, watch- 

 ing near at hand the sleeping shepherd, quietly 



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