THE BOY WHO KNEW WHAT THE BIRDS SAID
man. He was hungry, for the food he got did not stay his appetite, but what Murrish said in doubt of his word gave him more hurt than his hunger did. For in his day and amongst his companions a lie was never told and nothing a man said was ever doubted.
The next day he sent back the dish for more butter.
"Tell him," said Murrish the cook-woman, "that I put a whole pat of butter on his dish—enough to do two men for two days."
"Tell her," said Little Fawn, "that often I saw a rowan berry that was bigger as her pat of butter."
"The child just out of the cradle would not believe that story," said Murrish the cook-woman.
She sent him a quarter of mutton for his dinner. Little Fawn told Ardan to ask Murrish for more, as the dinner she gave him left him hungry still.
"Did he not get a whole quarter of mutton for his dinner?" said Murrish.
"A whole quarter of mutton, did she say?" said Little Fawn. "Often I saw a quarter of a
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