There is no known original for the story of Theocrite, but it is in
accord with the Roman Catholic belief that angels watch over human
beings and are interested in their affairs. In the last line is the
fundamental lesson of the poem. Compare the thought of Pippa in the song
"All service ranks the same with God." See Leigh Hunt's "King Robert of
Sicily" (in _A Jar of Honey_, ch. vi.) and Longfellow's "King Robert of
Sicily" (in _Tales of a Wayside Inn_) for an analogous legend.