"There was a piper had a cow,
And nothing had to give her:
He took his pipe and played a tune--
'Consider, cow, consider.'"
A correspondent of the Penny Magazine says that, while on a visit to
the country-house of a lady, it one day happened that they were passing
the cow-house just at the time when the dairymaid was driving home the
cows, to be milked. They all passed in quietly enough, with the
exception of one, which stood lowing at the door, and resisted every
effort of the dairymaid to induce her to enter. When the maid was
interrogated as to the cause of this obstinacy, she attributed it to
pride; and when surprise was expressed at this, she explained that,
whenever any of the other cows happened to get before her, this
particular cow would seem quite affronted, and would not enter at all,
unless the others were turned out again. This statement having excited
curiosity, the maid was desired to redouble her exertions to induce the
cow to enter; on which she chased the animal through every corner of
the yard, but without success, until she at last desisted, from want of
breath, declaring that there was no other remedy than to turn out the
other cows. She was then permitted to make the experiment; and no
sooner were the others driven out, than in walked the gratified cow,
with a stately air--her more humble-minded companions following in her
rear.