s mean?" he asked himself. "Where are they gone? I think
I'll have to climb up there myself and see what that plant is. I wonder
will the rock open for me?"

He whistled to Dunay, his dog, and left him in charge of the sheep.
Then he made his way over to the cliff and examined the mysterious
plant. It was something he had never seen before.

He picked a leaf and touched the cliff in the same place where the
serpents had touched it. Instantly the rock opened.

Batcha stepped inside. He found himself in a huge cavern the walls of
which glittered with gold and silver and precious stones. A golden table
stood in the center and upon it a monster serpent, a very king of
serpents, lay coiled up fast asleep. The other serpents, hundreds and
hundreds of them, lay on the ground around the table. They also were
fast asleep. As Batcha walked about, not one of them stirred.

Batcha sauntered here and there examining the walls and the golden table
and the sleeping serpents. When he had seen everything he thought to
himself:

"It's very strange and interesting and all that, but now it's time for
me to get back to my sheep."

It's easy to say: "Now I'm going," but when Batcha tried to go he found
he couldn't, for the rock had closed. So there he was locked in with the
serpents.

He was a philosophical fellow and so, after puzzling a moment, he
shrugged his shoulders and said:

"Well, if I can't get out I suppose I'll have to stay here for the
night."

With that he drew his cape about him, lay down, and was soon fast
asleep.

He was awakened by a rustling murmur. Thinking that he was in his own
hut, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Then he saw the glittering walls of
the cavern and remembered his adventure.

The old king serpent still lay on the golden table but no longer asleep.
A movement like a slow wave was rippling his great coils. All the other
serpents on the ground were facing the golden table and with darting
tongues were hissing:

"Is it time? Is it time?"

The old king serpent slowly lifted his head and with a deep murmurous
hiss said:

"Yes, it is time."

He stretched out his long body, slipped off the golden table, and glided
away to the wall of the cavern. All the smaller serpents wriggled after
him.

Batcha followed them, thinking to himself:

"I'll go out the way they go."

The old king serpent touched the wall with his tongue and the rock
opened. Then he glided aside and the serpents crawled out,