them, Jesus rejoined; I’ll not feed them for three days, and after feeding them thou’lt take them to the hills, and when they have coursed and killed a jackal for thee it may be that they’ll accept thee for master.  But these Thracians rarely love twice.  Come, Jacob, and we’ll look into thy flock of lambs and take counsel together.  They seem to be doing fairly well with thee—­a bit tired, I dare say thou hast come a long way with them.  We walked too fast, Jacob answered, saying he had had to go farther than he thought for in search of grass, and had found some that was worth the distance they had journeyed, for the lambs had fallen to nibbling at once.  Fell to nibbling at once, did they?  Jesus repeated When they’re folded with the ewes, thou’lt put into their jaws a stick to keep them from sucking.  And without waiting for Jacob to answer he asked which of all these lambs he would choose to keep for breeding from.  Jacob pointed out first one and then another; but Jesus shook his head and showed him a lamb which Jacob had not cast his eyes over and said:  one may not say for certain, but I shall be surprised if he doesn’t come into a fine, broad-shouldered ram, strong across the loins and straight on his legs, the sort to get lambs that do well on these hills.  And thou’lt be well advised to leave him on his dam another hundred days; shear him, for it will give him strength to take some wool from him, but do not take it from his back, for he will want the wool there to protect him from the sun.  And all the first year he will skip about with the ewes and jump upon them, but it will be only play, for his time has not yet come; in two more years he’ll be at his height, serving ten ewes a day; but keep him not over-long; thou must always have some new rams preparing, else thy flock will decline.  The ram thou seest on the right is old, and must soon be replaced.  But the white ram yonder is still full of service:  a better I’ve never known.  The white ram is stronger than the black, though the black ewe will turn from him and seek a ram of her own colour.  I’ve known a white ram so ardent for a black ewe that he fought the black ram till their skulls cracked.  Master, it is well to listen to thee, Jacob interrupted, for none knows sheep like thee, but as none will ever give me charge of a flock again, thy teaching is wasted upon me.  Look to the ewes’ teeth, Jacob, and to their udders; see that the udders are sound.  Master, never before didst thou mock at me, who am for my misfortunes the mocking-stock of all these fields.  In what have I done wrong?  That my lambs are a bit tired is all thou hast to blame me for to-day.  Jacob, I’m not mocking at thee, but looking forward a little, for time is on thy side and will soon put thee in charge of a flock again.  Time is on my side, Jacob repeated.  If I understand thee rightly, Master, thy meaning is, that the hills are beginning to weary thee.  Look into my beard, Jacob, and see how much grey hair is in it, and my gait is slower than it used to be, a stiffness has come upon me that will not wear out, and my eyes are not as keen as they were, and when I see in thee a wise shepherd, between the spring and autumn, it may be that Hazael, our president, at my advice, will entrust my flock to thy charge.