Read "Under the Glacier" by Halldór Laxness online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
In Chinese literature there are many references to calves, and the master Kvangtse says these words: A wise man's expression is like that of a newborn calf. In some variants of the text, this is said to be reduced to: A wise man is a newborn calf.
This was an orphan calf and no one knew what had become of the heavy-uddered cow, his mother. He got no other swill from the fairy-ram woman Hnallþóra than cakes softened in coffee, which brought on all kinds of ailments. Though you gave him a good long scratch, he didn't have the heart to low when you left him again; he just gazed after you, gloomily. It now seemed to me that this calf's forehead was neither as bulging nor hairy as before. He seemed to be feeling better in these three or four stomachs that are said to be found in any one calf. As was said before, he had now been joined by some rams and had started to live off the abundance of the land. This company now lay chewing the cud in the churchyard. The rams stood up and stalked away when I approached, but the little calf came towards me; probably thought that I would give him some coffee.