it in his mouth. As soon as it touched his tongue he heard
outside his window a strange chorus of delicate voices. He went and
listened, and found that it was the sparrows talking together, and
telling each other all they had seen in the fields and woods. The virtue
of the snake had given him power to understand the speech of animals.

Now it happened one day that the Queen lost her most splendid ring, and
suspicion fell upon the trusty servant, who had the general
superintendence, and he was accused of stealing it. The King summoned
him to his presence, and after many reproaches told him that if by the
next day he was not able to name the thief he should be considered
guilty, and punished. It was in vain that he protested his innocence; he
could get no better sentence. In his uneasiness and anxiety he went out
into the courtyard, and began to consider what he could do in so great a
necessity. There sat the ducks by the running water and rested
themselves, and plumed themselves with their flat bills, and held a
comfortable chat. The servant stayed where he was and listened to them.
They told how they had waddled about all yesterday morning and found
good food; and then one of them said pitifully,

"Something lies very heavy in my craw,--it is the ring that was lying
under the Queen's window; I swallowed it down in too great a hurry."

Then the servant seized her by the neck, took her into the kitchen, and
said to the cook,

"Kill this one, she is quite ready for cooking."

"Yes," said the cook, weighing it in her hand; "there will be no trouble
of fattening this one--it has been ready ever so long."

She then slit up its neck, and when it was opened the Queen's ring was
found in its craw. The servant could now clearly prove his innocence,
and in order to make up for the injustice he had suffered the King
permitted him to ask some favour for himself, and also promised him the
place of greatest honour in the royal household.

But the servant refused it, and only asked for a horse and money for
travelling, for he had a fancy to see the world, and look about him a
little. So his request was granted, and he set out on his way; and one
day he came to a pool of water, by which he saw three fishes who had got
entangled in the rushes, and were panting for water. Although fishes are
usually considered dumb creatures, he understood very well their lament
that they were to perish so miserably; and as he had a compassionate