had one very peculiar habit. Every day, after the
dinner table had been cleared, and everyone had retired, a confidential
servant brought in a dish. It was covered, and neither the servant nor
anyone else had any idea what was on it, for the King never removed the
cover or partook of the dish, till he was quite alone.

This went on for some time till, one day, the servant who removed the
dish was so overcome with curiosity, that he could not resist carrying
it off to his own room. After carefully locking the door, he lifted the
cover, and there he saw a white snake lying on the dish. On seeing it he
could not restrain his desire to taste it, so he cut off a small piece
and put it in his mouth.

Hardly had it touched his tongue than he heard a strange sort of
whispering of tiny voices outside his window. He stepped to the casement
to listen, and found that the sound proceeded from the sparrows, who
were talking together and telling each other all they had seen in the
fields and woods. The piece of the white snake which he had eaten had
enabled him to understand the language of animals.

Now on this particular day, it so happened that the Queen lost her
favourite ring, and suspicion fell on the confidential servant who had
access to all parts of the palace. The King sent for him, and threatened
him angrily, saying that if he had not found the thief by the next day,
he should himself be taken up and tried.

It was useless to assert his innocence; he was dismissed without
ceremony. In his agitation and distress, he went down to the yard to
think over what he could do in this trouble. Here were a number of ducks
resting near a little stream, and pluming themselves with their bills,
whilst they kept up an animated conversation amongst themselves. The
servant stood still listening to them. They were talking of where they
had been waddling about all the morning, and of the good food they had
found, but one of them remarked rather sadly, 'There's something lying
very heavy on my stomach, for in my haste I've swallowed a ring, which
was lying just under the Queen's window.'

[Illustration]

No sooner did the servant hear this than he seized the duck by the neck,
carried it off to the kitchen, and said to the cook, 'Suppose you kill
this duck; you see she's nice and fat.'

'Yes, indeed,' said the cook, weighing the duck in his hand, 'she
certainly has spared no pains to stuff herself well, and must have been
waiting for th