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Stranger
Str. That is easy enough, since we have but a short distance to go. At the beginning, certainly, or middle of our journey it would have been hard to comply with your demand. But now, since this is your wish, let us go first by the longer way, for we are fresher now and shall get along on it more easily. So attend to the division.
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Younger Socrates
Y. Soc. Go on.
Stranger
Str. The tame walking animals which live in herds are divided by nature into two classes.
Younger Socrates
Y. Soc. How by nature?
Stranger
Str. Because one class is naturally without horns, and the other has horns.
Younger Socrates
Y. Soc. That is obvious.
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Stranger
Str. Now divide the art of tending herds of walking animals into two parts, assigning one to each class of animals; and define the parts, for if you try to give them names, the matter will become needlessly complicated.
Younger Socrates
Y. Soc. How shall I speak of them then?
Stranger
Str. In this way: say that the science which tends herds of walking animals is divided into two parts, one of which is assigned to the horned portion of the herd, the other to the hornless portion.
Younger Socrates
Y. Soc. Assume that I have said that; for you have made it perfectly clear.
Stranger
Str. And furthermore our king is very clearly the herdsman of a herd devoid of horns.
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Younger Socrates
Y. Soc. Of course; that is evident.
Stranger
Str. Let us then try to break up this herd and give the king the part that belongs to him.
Younger Socrates
Y. Soc. Very well.
Stranger
Str. Shall we make our division on the basis of having or not having cloven hoofs, or on that of mixing or not mixing the breed? You know what I mean.
Younger Socrates
Y. Soc. No. What is it?
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