ay the blessing of an
old man go with them and thee; for surely thou hast been faithful and
wise in all thy doings since thou hast been my servant."

That very day he set out once more to the shores of the silvery Avon,
and crossed it with the delighted pigs, at a shallow spot, which has
ever since that time, in memory thereof, been called Swinford, or
Swine's-ford.

No sooner, however, had they reached the opposite shore, than the whole
herd set off, galloping and scampering, one over the other, as if they
had one and all been seized with a sudden frenzy. No less alarmed than
astonished at their sudden flight, Bladud followed them at his quickest
speed, and beheld them rapidly descending into a valley, towards some
springs of water, that seemed to ooze out of the boggy land in its
bottom, amidst rushes, weeds, and long rank grass. Into this swamp the
pigs rushed headlong, and here they rolled and reveled, tumbling,
grunting, and squeaking, and knocking each other head over heels, with
evident delight, but to the utter astonishment of Bladud, who was
altogether unconscious of the instinct by which the gratified animals
had been impelled.

All the attempts which Bladud made to, drive or entice them from this
spot were entirely useless. They continued to wallow in their miry
bed, until at length the calls of hunger induced them to seek the woods
for food; but after they had eaten a hearty meal of acorns, they
returned to the swamp, to the increasing surprise of Bladud. As for
his part, having taken a supper of coarse black bread and roasted
acorns, he sought shelter for the night in the thick branches of a
large oak-tree.

Now poor Bladud was not aware that, guided by superior Wisdom, he had,
unknown to himself, approached a spot wherein there existed a
remarkable natural peculiarity. This was no other than some warm,
springs of salt water, which ooze out of the earth, and possess certain
medicinal properties which have the effect of curing various diseases,
and on which account they are sought by afflicted persons even to the
present day.

III.

Bladud awoke with the first beams of morning, and discovered his
grunting charge still actively wallowing in the oozy bed in which they
had taken such unaccountable delight on the preceding day.

Bladud, however, who was accustomed to reason and to reflect on
everything he saw, had often observed that the natural instinct of
animals prompted them to do such thing