ry to
say, was a very wicked and mischievous one; for no sooner did he see the
cows of Prince Apollo feeding in the pastures of Pieria than he decided
to steal a couple of them for his breakfast, and to let the rest stray
away. Having accomplished this piece of mischief, he went back to his
cradle, gliding through the open door as swiftly and softly as the
summer wind.

Phoebus Apollo soon discovered what had happened, and started off in
pursuit of the robber; but Hermes was by this time fast asleep.

"What! I steal your cows!" he exclaimed, rubbing his eyes, as Apollo
stood at the door of Maia's cave. "I beg your pardon, but I do not even
know what a cow is."

Then he laughed to himself, and hid his face under the clothes; but
Apollo was not to be deceived, and Hermes was compelled to leave the
pleasant grotto, and appear before Zeus to answer for his crime.

Still the little tramp denied the theft: "No, no," he said, "I never
stole a cow in my life. I do not know a cow from a goat. I, indeed!" And
the boy turned on his heel, laughing as he spoke.

"Hermes," said Zeus at length, from his royal throne, "it is useless for
you to try longer to deceive us. Return the cows, make up the quarrel,
and Apollo will forgive the theft."

Hermes saw that his secret was discovered, and confessed his fault as
gayly as he had before denied it.

Prince Apollo was still somewhat out of humor, but as the boy led him
back along the sandy shores of Pieria, he told such pleasant stories and
sang such bewitching songs that the angry Prince began to smile, and at
last declared that the music was worth the loss of a hundred cows.

Hermes, who was as generous as he was mischievous, immediately made
Apollo a present of his lyre, and Apollo, not to be outdone, gave him in
return a magic wand. This wand, which was so cunningly carved that it
looked like two serpents twining around a slender rod, was called a
caduceus, and Hermes carried it with him in all his wanderings.

After Apollo and Hermes had exchanged presents, they swore eternal
friendship to each other; and then, having pointed out the place where
the cows were hid, Hermes hurried back to Olympus.

Having once tasted the delights of travel, he could not endure the
thought of a quiet humdrum life in the little cave at Kyllene, and he
besought the King to send him on some foreign mission.

Zeus, pleased with the boy's adventurous spirit, appointed him his
special Ambassador.