Famous Islands and Memorable Voyages

"A strange reason was it, truly, my friends," answered the old man, "but my son can tell you better than I. Speak, my son."

The younger of the two oarsmen, a lad of about sixteen, answered bashfully: "It was a dream, strangers, that led our boat to that shore. My father had lost two heifers, white were they, with black stars on their forehead and there were none like them in the island where we dwell. Long did we seek our missing kine, and great was our sorrow when we found them not; but last night I dreamed that I saw them feeding upon this island, the cliffs of which we can sometimes see from our home. When I awakened I persuaded my father to take the boat and let us row to the island."

"We found not our heifers," said the old fisherman, smiling, "but, thank the good God, we found