merve/folk-mythology-tales · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Simon the seventh is pardoned.'

Then the king gave each brother a goblet of wine and invited them to the
wedding feast. And what a feast that was!






The Language of Beasts

Once upon a time a man had a shepherd who served him many years
faithfully and honestly. One day, whilst herding his flock, this
shepherd heard a hissing sound, coming out of the forest near by, which
he could not account for. So he went into the wood in the direction of
the noise to try to discover the cause. When he approached the place
he found that the dry grass and leaves were on fire, and on a tree,
surrounded by flames, a snake was coiled, hissing with terror.

The shepherd stood wondering how the poor snake could escape, for
the wind was blowing the flames that way, and soon that tree would be
burning like the rest. Suddenly the snake cried: 'O shepherd! for the
love of heaven save me from this fire!'

Then the shepherd stretched his staff out over the flames and the snake
wound itself round the staff and up to his hand, and from his hand
it crept up his arm, and twined itself about his neck. The shepherd
trembled with fright, expecting every instant to be stung to death, and
said: 'What an unlucky man I am! Did I rescue you only to be destroyed
myself?' But the snake answered: 'Have no fear; only carry me home to my
father who is the King of the Snakes.' The shepherd, however, was much
too frightened to listen, and said that he could not go away and leave
his flock alone; but the snake said: 'You need not be afraid to leave
your flock, no evil shall befall them; but make all the haste you can.'

So he set off through the wood carrying the snake, and after a time he
came to a great gateway, made entirely of snakes intertwined one with
another. The shepherd stood still with surprise, but the snake round his
neck whistled, and immediately all the arch unwound itself.

'When we are come to my father's house,' said his own snake to him, 'he
will reward you with anything you like to ask--silver, gold, jewels,
or whatever on this earth is most precious; but take none of all these
things, ask rather to understand the language of beasts. He will refuse
it to you a long time, but in the end he will grant it to you.'

Soon after that they arrived at the house of the King of the Snakes, who
burst into tears of joy at the sight of his daughter, as he had given
her up for dead. 'Where have you been all this time?' he asked, directly
he could speak, and she told him that she had been caught in a forest
fire, and had been rescued from the flames by the shepherd. The King of
the Snakes, then turning to the shepherd, said to him: 'What reward will
you choose for saving my child?'

'Make me to know the language of beasts,' answered the shepherd, 'that
is all I desire.'

The king replied: 'Such knowledge would be of no benefit to you, for if
I granted it to you and you told any one of it, you would immediately
die; ask me rather for whatever else you would most like to possess, and
it shall be yours.'

But the shepherd answered him: 'Sir, if you wish to reward me for saving
your daughter, grant me, I pray you, to know the language of beasts. I
desire nothing else'; and he turned as if to depart.

Then the king called him back, saying: 'If nothing else will satisfy
you, open your mouth.' The man obeyed, and the king spat into it, and
said: 'Now spit into my mouth.' The shepherd did as he was told, then
the King of the Snakes spat again into the shepherd's mouth. When they
had spat into each other's mouths three times, the king said:

'Now you know the language of beasts, go in peace; but, if you value
your life, beware lest you tell any one of it, else you will immediately
die.'

So the shepherd set out for home, and on his way through the wood he
heard and understood all that was said by the birds, and by every living
creature. When he got back to his sheep he found the flock grazing
peacefully, and as he was very tired he laid himself down by them to
rest a little. Hardly had he done so when two ravens flew down and
perched on a tree near by, and began to talk to each other in their own
language: 'If that shepherd only knew that there is a vault full of gold
and silver beneath where that lamb is lying, what would he not do?' When
the shepherd heard these words he went straight to his master and told
him, and the master at once took a waggon, and broke open the door of
the vault, and they carried off the treasure. But instead of keeping it
for himself, the master, who was an honourable man, gave it all up to
the shepherd, saying: 'Take it, it is yours. The gods have given it to
you.' So the shepherd took the treasure and built himself a house. He
married a wife, and they lived in great peace and happiness, and he was
acknowledged to be the richest man, not only of his native village, but
of all the country-side. He had flocks of sheep, and cattle, and horses
without end, as well as beautiful clothes and jewels.

One day, just before Christmas, he said to his wife: 'Prepare everything
for a great feast, to-morrow we will take things with us to the farm
that the shepherds there may make merry.' The wife obeyed, and all was
prepared as he desired. Next day they both went to the farm, and in the

Simon the seventh is pardoned.'

Then the king gave each brother a goblet of wine and invited them to the

wedding feast. And what a feast that was!

The Language of Beasts

Once upon a time a man had a shepherd who served him many years

faithfully and honestly. One day, whilst herding his flock, this

shepherd heard a hissing sound, coming out of the forest near by, which

he could not account for. So he went into the wood in the direction of

the noise to try to discover the cause. When he approached the place

he found that the dry grass and leaves were on fire, and on a tree,

surrounded by flames, a snake was coiled, hissing with terror.

The shepherd stood wondering how the poor snake could escape, for

the wind was blowing the flames that way, and soon that tree would be

burning like the rest. Suddenly the snake cried: 'O shepherd! for the

love of heaven save me from this fire!'

Then the shepherd stretched his staff out over the flames and the snake

wound itself round the staff and up to his hand, and from his hand

it crept up his arm, and twined itself about his neck. The shepherd

trembled with fright, expecting every instant to be stung to death, and

said: 'What an unlucky man I am! Did I rescue you only to be destroyed

myself?' But the snake answered: 'Have no fear; only carry me home to my

father who is the King of the Snakes.' The shepherd, however, was much

too frightened to listen, and said that he could not go away and leave

his flock alone; but the snake said: 'You need not be afraid to leave

your flock, no evil shall befall them; but make all the haste you can.'

So he set off through the wood carrying the snake, and after a time he

came to a great gateway, made entirely of snakes intertwined one with

another. The shepherd stood still with surprise, but the snake round his

neck whistled, and immediately all the arch unwound itself.

'When we are come to my father's house,' said his own snake to him, 'he

will reward you with anything you like to ask--silver, gold, jewels,

or whatever on this earth is most precious; but take none of all these

things, ask rather to understand the language of beasts. He will refuse

it to you a long time, but in the end he will grant it to you.'

Soon after that they arrived at the house of the King of the Snakes, who

burst into tears of joy at the sight of his daughter, as he had given

her up for dead. 'Where have you been all this time?' he asked, directly

he could speak, and she told him that she had been caught in a forest

fire, and had been rescued from the flames by the shepherd. The King of

the Snakes, then turning to the shepherd, said to him: 'What reward will

you choose for saving my child?'

'Make me to know the language of beasts,' answered the shepherd, 'that

is all I desire.'

The king replied: 'Such knowledge would be of no benefit to you, for if

I granted it to you and you told any one of it, you would immediately

die; ask me rather for whatever else you would most like to possess, and

it shall be yours.'

But the shepherd answered him: 'Sir, if you wish to reward me for saving

your daughter, grant me, I pray you, to know the language of beasts. I

desire nothing else'; and he turned as if to depart.

Then the king called him back, saying: 'If nothing else will satisfy

you, open your mouth.' The man obeyed, and the king spat into it, and

said: 'Now spit into my mouth.' The shepherd did as he was told, then

the King of the Snakes spat again into the shepherd's mouth. When they

had spat into each other's mouths three times, the king said:

'Now you know the language of beasts, go in peace; but, if you value

your life, beware lest you tell any one of it, else you will immediately

die.'

So the shepherd set out for home, and on his way through the wood he

heard and understood all that was said by the birds, and by every living

creature. When he got back to his sheep he found the flock grazing

peacefully, and as he was very tired he laid himself down by them to

rest a little. Hardly had he done so when two ravens flew down and

perched on a tree near by, and began to talk to each other in their own

language: 'If that shepherd only knew that there is a vault full of gold

and silver beneath where that lamb is lying, what would he not do?' When

the shepherd heard these words he went straight to his master and told

him, and the master at once took a waggon, and broke open the door of

the vault, and they carried off the treasure. But instead of keeping it

for himself, the master, who was an honourable man, gave it all up to

the shepherd, saying: 'Take it, it is yours. The gods have given it to

you.' So the shepherd took the treasure and built himself a house. He

married a wife, and they lived in great peace and happiness, and he was

acknowledged to be the richest man, not only of his native village, but

of all the country-side. He had flocks of sheep, and cattle, and horses

without end, as well as beautiful clothes and jewels.

One day, just before Christmas, he said to his wife: 'Prepare everything

for a great feast, to-morrow we will take things with us to the farm

that the shepherds there may make merry.' The wife obeyed, and all was

prepared as he desired. Next day they both went to the farm, and in the