"
"What shall I sing?" he asked.
"Sing of the creation," was the answer.
Then Caedmon, with only the cows as his hearers, opened his mouth and
began to sing. He sang of the beginning of things; how the world was
made; how the sun and moon came into being; how the land rose from the
water; how the birds and the beasts were given life.
[Illustration: Caedmon signing in the cow byre]
All through the night he sat among the abbey cows, and sang his
wonderful song. When the stable boys and shepherds came out in the
morning, they heard him singing; and they were so amazed that they
stood still in the drifted snow and listened with open mouths.
At length, others of the servants heard him, and were entranced by his
wonderful song. And one ran quickly and told the good abbess, or
mistress of the abbey, what strange thing had happened.
"Bring the cowherd hither, that I and those who are with me may hear
him," said she.
So Caedmon was led into the great hall of the abbey. And all of the
sweet-faced sisters and other women of the place listened while he
sang again the wonderful song of the creation.
"Surely," said the abbess, "this is a poem, most sweet, most true,
most beautiful.
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