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Alongtimeagotherelivedakingwhowasfamedforhiswisdomthroughalltheland.Nothingwashiddenfromhim,anditseemedasifnewsofthemostsecretthingswasbroughttohimthroughtheair.Buthehadastrangecustom,everydayafterdinner,whenthetablewascleared,andnooneelsewaspresent,atrustyservanthadtobringhimonemoredish.Itwascovered,however,andeventheservantdidnotknowwhatwasinit,neitherdidanyoneknow,forthekingnevertookoffthecovertoeatofituntilhewasquitealone.Thishadgoneonforalongtime,whenonedaytheservant,whotookawaythedish,wasovercomewithsuchcuriositythathecouldnothelpcarryingthedishintohisroom.Whenhehadcarefullylockedthedoor,heliftedupthecover,andsawawhitesnakelyingonthedish.Butwhenhesawithecouldnotdenyhimselfthepleasureoftastingit,sohecutoffalittlebitandputitintohismouth.Nosoonerhadittouchedhistonguethanheheardastrangewhisperingoflittlevoicesoutsidehiswindow.Hewentandlistened,andthennoticedthatitwasthesparrowswhowerechatteringtogether,andtellingoneanotherofallkindsofthingswhichtheyhadseeninthefieldsandwoods.Eatingthesnakehadgivenhimpowerofunderstandingthelanguageofanimals.Nowitsohappenedthatonthisverydaythequeenlosthermostbeautifulring,andsuspicionofhavingstolenitfelluponthis

trustyservant,whowasallowedtogoeverywhere.Thekingorderedthemantobebroughtbeforehim,andthreatenedwithangrywordsthatunlesshecouldbeforethemorrowpointoutthethief,hehimselfshouldbelookeduponasguiltyandexecuted.Invainhedeclaredhisinnocence,hewasdismissedwithnobetteranswer.Inhistroubleandfearhewentdownintothecourtyardandtookthoughthowtohelphimselfoutofhistrouble.Nowsomeducksweresittingtogetherquietlybyabrookandtakingtheirrest,and,whilsttheyweremakingtheirfeatherssmoothwiththeirbills,theywerehavingaconfidentialconversationtogether.Theservantstoodbyandlistened.Theyweretellingoneanotherofalltheplaceswheretheyhadbeenwaddling

aboutallthemorning,andwhatgoodfoodtheyhadfound,andonesaidinapitifultone,somethingliesheavyonmystomach,asIwaseatinginhasteIswallowedaringwhichlayunderthequeen'swindow.Theservantatonceseizedherbytheneck,carriedhertothekitchen,andsaidtothecook,hereisafineduck,pray,killher.Yes,saidthecook,andweighedherinhishand,shehassparednotroubletofattenherself,andhasbeenwaitingtoberoastedlongenough.Sohecutoffherhead,andasshewasbeingdressedforthespit,thequeen'sringwasfoundinsideher.Theservantcouldnoweasilyprovehisinnocence,andtheking,tomakeamendsforthewrong,allowedhimtoaskafavor,andpromisedhimthebestplaceinthecourtthathecouldwishfor.

Theservantrefusedeverything,andonlyaskedforahorseandsomemoneyfortraveling,ashehadamindtoseetheworldandgoaboutalittle.Whenhisrequestwasgrantedhesetoutonhisway,andonedaycametoapond,wherehesawthreefishescaughtinthereedsandgaspingforwater.Now,thoughitissaidthatfishesaredumb,heheardthemlamentingthattheymustperishsomiserably,and,ashehadakindheart,hegotoffhishorseandputthethreeprisonersbackintothewater.Theyleaptwithdelight,putouttheirheads,andcriedtohim,wewillrememberyouandrepayyouforsavingus.

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Herodeon,andafterawhileitseemedtohimthatheheardavoiceinthesandathisfeet.Helistened,andheardanant-kingcomplain,whycannotfolks,withtheirclumsybeasts,keepoffourbodies.Thatstupidhorse,withhisheavyhoofs,hasbeentreadingdownmypeoplewithoutmercy.Soheturnedontoasidepathandtheant-kingcriedouttohim,wewillrememberyou-onegoodturndeservesanother.Thepathledhimintoawood,andherehesawtwooldravensstandingbytheirnest,andthrowingouttheiryoungones.Outwithyou,youidle,good-for-nothingcreatures,criedthey,wecannotfindfoodforyouanylonger,youarebigenough,andcanprovideforyourselves.Butthepooryoungravenslayupontheground,flappingtheirwings,andcrying,oh,whathelplesschicksweare.Wemustshiftforourselves,andyetwecannotfly.Whatcanwedo,butliehereandstarve.Sothegoodyoungfellowalightedandkilledhishorsewithhissword,andgaveittothemforfood.Thentheycamehoppinguptoit,satisfiedtheirhunger,andcried,wewillrememberyou-onegoodturndeservesanother.Andnowhehadtousehisownlegs,andwhenhehadwalkedalongway,hecametoalargecity.Therewasagreatnoiseandcrowdinthestreets,andamanrodeuponhorseback,cryingaloud,theking'sdaughterwantsahusband,butwhoeverseeksherhandmustperformahardtask,andifhedoesnotsucceedhe

willforfeithislife.Manyhadalreadymadetheattempt,butinvain,neverthelesswhentheyouthsawtheking'sdaughterhewassoovercomebyhergreatbeautythatheforgotalldanger,wentbeforetheking,anddeclaredhimselfasuitor.Sohewasledouttothesea,andagoldringwasthrownintoit,beforehiseyes,thenthekingorderedhimtofetchthisringupfromthebottomofthesea,andadded,ifyoucomeupagainwithoutityouwillbethrowninagainandagainuntilyouperishamidthewaves.Allthepeoplegrievedforthehandsomeyouth,thentheywentaway,leavinghimalonebythesea.Hestoodontheshoreandconsideredwhatheshoulddo,whensuddenlyhesawthreefishescomeswimmingtowardshim,andtheyweretheveryfisheswhoseliveshehadsaved.Theoneinthe

middleheldamusselinitsmouth,whichitlaidontheshoreattheyouth'sfeet,andwhenhehadtakenitupandopenedit,therelaythegoldringintheshell.Fullofjoyhetookittotheking,andexpectedthathewouldgranthimthepromisedreward.Butwhentheproudprincessperceivedthathewasnotherequalinbirth,shescornedhim,andrequiredhimfirsttoperformanothertask.Shewentdownintothegardenandstrewedwithherownhandstensacks-fullofmillet-seedonthegrass,thenshesaid,tomorrowmorningbeforesunrisethesemustbepickedup,andnotasinglegrainbewanting.Theyouthsatdowninthegardenandconsideredhowitmightbepossibletoperformthistask,buthecouldthinkofnothing,andtherehesatsorrowfullyawaitingthebreakofday,whenhe

shouldbeledtodeath.Butassoonasthefirstraysofthesunshoneintothegardenhesawallthetensacksstandingsidebyside,quitefull,andnotasinglegrainwasmissing.Theant-kinghadcomeinthenightwiththousandsandthousandsofants,andthegratefulcreatureshadbygreatindustrypickedupallthemillet-seedandgatheredthemintothesacks.Presentlytheking'sdaughterherselfcamedownintothegarden,andwasamazedtoseethattheyoungmanhaddonethetaskshehadgivenhim.Butshecouldnotyetconquerherproudheart,andsaid,althoughhehasperformedboththetasks,heshallnot

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bemyhusbanduntilhehasbroughtmeanapplefromthetreeoflife.Theyouthdidnotknowwherethetreeoflifestood,buthesetout,andwouldhavegoneonforever,aslongashislegswouldcarryhim,thoughhehadnohopeoffindingit.Afterhehadwanderedthroughthreekingdoms,hecameoneeveningtoawood,andlaydownunderatreetosleep.Butheheardarustlinginthebranches,andagoldenapplefellintohishand.Atthesametimethreeravensflewdowntohim,perchedthemselvesuponhisknee,andsaid,wearethethreeyoungravenswhomyousavedfromstarving,whenwehadgrownbig,andheardthatyouwereseekingthegoldenapple,weflewovertheseatotheendoftheworld,wherethetreeoflifestands,andhavebroughtyoutheapple.Theyouth,fullofjoy,setouthomewards,andtookthegoldenappletotheking'sbeautifuldaughter,whohadnomoreexcuseslefttomake.Theycuttheappleoflifeintwoandateittogether,andthenherheartbecamefullofloveforhim,andtheylivedinundisturbedhappinesstoagreatage.