238 Proceedings of the Royal Society 
but as it contains a good many different ideas I think it is worth 
repeating : — 
“ A rabbit and a hawk once had a cow as common property ; they 
used to take it in turn to watch this cow while grazing. The 
rabbit is a very deceitful animal, and, liking milk very much, on 
the days when he had charge of the cow he milked it and drank the 
milk before driving the cow home. The hawk was honest, and on 
the days when he drove it home there was always plenty of milk 
for both. Not content with obtaining most of the milk every other 
day, the rabbit thought of a plan to deceive the hawk still more, so 
said to him — ‘ It is not good for you to drink the thin milk, but it 
is good for me, so if you will make a hole at the bottom of your 
milking pot, I will place mine under it ; then the thin milk will flow 
into mine, and you will keep the thick milk.’ The hawk agreed to 
this, but of course all the milk ran into the rabbit’s bowl, and the 
hawk retained the froth alone, which vanished when he put it on 
the fire to boil. The hawk could not understand this, and so went 
to ask the rabbit for an explanation. The latter said — ‘ Oh you 
silly bird, you must stop up the hole in your pot, and put some 
water in it before you place it on the fire to boil, and then you will 
get good milk.’ Next day the hawk did so, but found the milk very 
poor, so went to the rabbit for a taste of his milk. He said it was 
in his hut and he would go and fetch it, but he brought out a bowl 
of water to which he had added a few drops of milk. Thus the 
hawk was deceived again, and was very angry with the cow for 
giving such poor milk, on which the rabbit suggested that he should 
drive her to new pastures a long way off, as that might improve her 
milk. The hawk consented to the rabbit taking the cow", on con- 
dition that his son should accompany him. After proceeding for 
some distance, the rabbit made up his mind that, as he could deceive 
the hawk no longer, it would be best to kill the cow, so he killed 
the hawk’s son and the cow, which he devoured. He then went 
home and told the hawk that he had left the cow with his son, and 
that they would return in a few days, but he was very much afraid 
of the hawk finding out what had happened, and thought of the 
following plan to escape from his vengeance: — Far, far up in the sky, 
so far as to be invisible to mortal eyes, there is a place where the 
animals meet to dance and sing and to amuse themselves, and to 
