A little Jack Vance...

With a nod of thanks to Christian Morgenstern's "The Pearl Hen"

     The Twk-man counts; one, two, three, four.
     What is he counting, this patient creature
     beside the River Derna?

    He counts with a covetous air
    What to us - not him - seems paltry fare
    his salt; it's exact measure
 

Picture taken from http://ellenmillion.com