Thus two or three years went by. Then, one evening when the shepherd
came home from a visit to the city, he was delighted to see the
children running out to meet him. They held up their hands, as though
asking for something, and cried out, "Becos! becos! becos!"
[Illustration]
The shepherd led them gently back to the hut and gave them their usual
supper of bread and milk. He said nothing to them, but wondered where
they had heard the strange word "becos," and what was its meaning.
After that, whenever the children were hungry, they cried out, "Becos!
becos! becos!" till the shepherd gave them something to eat.
Some time later, the shepherd went to the city and told the king that
the children had learned to speak one word, but how or from whom, he
did not know.
"What is that word?" asked the king.
"Becos."
Then the king called one of the wisest scholars in Egypt and asked him
what the word meant.
"Becos," said the wise man, "is a Phrygian [Footnote: Phrygian
(_pro_. frij'i an).] word, and it means _bread_."
"Then what shall we understand by these children being able to speak
a Phrygian word which they have never heard from other lips?" asked
the king.
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