neatherd

And about noontide he came to a certain cottage of a neatherd that stood all alone in a very pleasant dale.

The poor neatherd, highly pleased to have secured his cow, went off, leaving the calf with the traveller.

While men were marvelling the neatherd came in, and said he had been awake early in the byre, with a sick calf.

But the neatherd himself,—to what land has he passed out of sight?

Yes, wretched beasts that they are, how false a neatherd was theirs!