"Thou art the very nicest boy I know," she said, "but it seemeth so strange to me that thou shouldst labor with thy hands, and shouldst talk as if thou didst believe that it is good and not degrading to do so. I never heard such things. But I will go with thee this afternoon and see what thou doest." "Thou mayst do so," said Arius, "and thou mayst help me with my work if thou wilt." But the little maiden held up her hands that looked like delicate wax-work, and laughingly cried out, "Even with these hands?" "Yea," said the boy, merrily, "even with those, tender and pretty as they are." So after the midday meal, when Arius went back to the patch of onions at which he was at work, Theckla accompanied him, and stood awhile watching him as he dug up the tubers. "What is to be done with these?" she asked. "They are to be gathered up into little heaps, and carried hence to the house, and stored away until wanted." "Why, I can pile them up for you," she cried, and straightway she began to gather the onions up as fast as the boy dug them, saying: "I wonder what mamma would think if she knew I was learning to work? But it is good, and I will help thee every day." "Thou shalt not weary thyself," said the boy, "and thou shalt quit as soon as thou dost desire to do so." But she would not stop, and continued at the task for several hours, until it was completed, seeming to be delighted with her newly discovered ability to be of use. "What other work hast thou to do?" "Nothing else, Theckla, except to take some salt to the cattle in the pasture, beyond the field, and thou mayst go into the house. I will not be long absent." "But I will not go to the house, Arius; I will go with thee, and see the large-eyed beasts." "Come on, then," said the boy, and, taking up the bag of salt which he had brought from the barn, he led the way along the shore of the little bay until they had passed beyond the field, where they came upon the edge of the pasture-land, and there Arius scattered the salt along a great trough of wood, to which some of the cattle had hurried up as soon as they saw the boy, and others came one after another, until more than a score were contentedly licking up the salt; and among them a fine bull-calf that was peculiarly marked. The kindly-treated herd were tame and fearless, and, as soon as young Theckla saw the bull, she gazed at him with the most intense interest, and ran up to the animal, crying out, excitedly: "Lo, the god! the god! the beautiful young Apis!" "What dost thou mean now?" said Arius.