Once upon a time a shepherd was grazing his sheep in a jungle. Suddenly he saw a big fire engulfing a bush nearby. A snake had been trapped in that bush by the fire on all sides. It was desperately trying to get out of it but found no way to escape.

The shepherd went near the fire. On seeing him the snake implored, “O noble one, save me. I may be of some use to you in the hour of need.” Hearing the cries of the snake, the shepherd took pity on it. He took a long staff of wood and brought the snake out of the fire.

Although the snake was not hurt, yet it was badly shaken by the constant heat in which it had to remain for a long time. Consequently it had no strength to crawl back to its hole. So the snake once again appealed to the shepherd, “Dear friend, you have done me a good deed already. Do me yet another favour. I am the son of the king of snakes in this jungle. I have no strength to crawl back myself. I will be indebted to you if you escort me back home by lifting me in your hands.”

“The snake and the man have been traditional enemies. How can I trust you?” asked the shepherd.

“No, I am not so ungrateful. You have saved me from the clutches of death, how can I bite you? Have faith in me!”

For some time the snake and the shepherd argued with each other but in the end the shepherd believed the snake. He picked the snake up in his hands and headed towards the hole of the snake.

On the way the snake impressed upon the shepherd, “I have wandered away from my home since yesterday. My father must be terribly worried about me. Seeing you he will hiss aloud and will straighten up to bite you by coming closer. But when you let me roll down from your hands before him he will dance with joy. When he comes to know that you have pulled me out of a deadly fire then he will tell you to ask anything of our choice from him. In reply you ask him to teach you the language of animals and birds. At first he may not agree, but if you stand firm then he will teach you the language of the animals and the birds.”

After some time the shepherd reached the spot where the king of the snakes lived. On seeing the shepherd, the king of the snakes hissed aloud and advanced towards him. The shepherd started feeling lifeless and down came the snake from his trembling hands. Having recognised his son, the king of the snakes affectionately said, “Son, where had you gone? I have been upset since yesterday.” The young snake narrated the whole incident to its father and then introduced the shepherd.

The king of the snakes showered his hospitality by arranging a delicious dinner for the shepherd. “I cannot repay you throughout my life. Have a hearty meal and then demand from me whatever you need the most,” said the snake king. The shepherd had neither seen nor eaten such a delicious and rich food.

When the shepherd had finished his meals the king of the snakes showed his treasure. He said, “Take away as much gold, silver, gems and jewels as you desire from here.”

Folding his hands in gratitude the shepherd said, “Your lordship, God has given me enough. I do not need anything.”

But the king of the snakes repeated his offer and there was the same reply from the shepherd.

Third time the king of the snakes said, “Still there is time, ask for something. I have never been so kind to anyone.”

Then the shepherd said very modestly, “Your Majesty, if you are kind, then teach me the language of the animals. I have spent most of my life grazing sheep.”

The king of the snakes was slightly annoyed and said, “What have you asked for? It is not possible.”

“Okay, permit me to leave. I do not need anything else,” the shepherd said.

“It is not very difficult for me to teach you the language of the animals,” said the king of the snakes, “but you will have to risk your life always. If any other person learns this secret you will instantly die. It is not easy to hide this secret.”

But the shepherd insisted on learning the language of animals. At last the king of the snakes agreed and said, “I will fulfil your desire. But always remember, nobody should know this secret.”

Then the king of the snakes blew air into the ears of the shepherd seven times. Then he took out his crown jewel and ran it across his two ears and said, “That’s all. Now you will understand the language of every animal.”

The shepherd departed from there. The world appeared before him in a new garb altogether. He could understand the language of every animal, bird and insect. Meanings emerged from the chirping of the birds. He enjoyed listening to the little things that the tiny birds talked over to each other. When he reached closer to his flock, he found that his sheep were sitting under the trees and were busy talking strange things to each other. One sheep said, “Our master is very happy today. Something extraordinary seems to have happened today.” The second sheep added, “Why should he not be happy? He had pulled out the snake from the fire. The snake must have given some treasure in return of the good he had done.” The third sheep joined the other two and said, “He is a nice gentleman. He has never made us suffer.”

The shepherd sat near the trunk of a tree and was wondering at the talk of his sheep and goats. In the meanwhile a pair of pigeons flew into the tree under which the shepherd was sitting. The pigeons started talking to each other. One pigeon said, “Lady Luck has her mysterious ways. Behold that shepherd is in his tatters. The tree trunk upon which he sits, has got a big treasure of wealth buried underneath it.”

“This treasure belongs to the money-lender of the village. I was very small when I saw him burying it there. He never came back again to see it. May be he is no more today,” said the female pigeon.

The shepherd heard their talk loud and clear. He started digging the ground from under the tree trunk. He pulled out a palanquin which was loaded with gold and silver coins. It shone because of the precious shining metals in it. The shepherd carried it home.

After a few days the shepherd got a palatial building built out of the treasure. He started living in comfort and peace. Very soon his name and fame, glory and wealth spread far and wide. A big merchant of the area gave his daughter in marriage to the shepherd. He lived like a king with servants and orderlies ready to obey his commands. Wherever he went, people bowed in respect before him.

One day the shepherd accompanied by his wife went to see a fair. When they were returning the shepherd rode his horse and his wife rode a mare. On the way the mare slowed down a little but the horse kept galloping at the usual speed. So the mare neighed to the horse, “Go not so fast. I am getting fatigued.” The horse said, “Dusk is descending fast. If we go slow we will be able to reach in the night only. There is a great risk of thieves and thugs on the way.”

“You have only one rider and you can afford to run fast. But I have got two people upon my back. How can I run fast?”

“You have only got the mistress riding on you. How come you got a second one too?”

“You don’t know our mistress is in the family way. She is nurturing a baby in her womb.”

When the shepherd heard from the mare’s mouth, he couldn’t resist laughing. Joy rippled through every vein of his body.

Seeing her husband bursting with laughter, the shepherd’s wife said, “What is the matter? You are laughing all alone. Let me also know what makes you laugh.”

“There is nothing to tell you. I just happened to laugh,” the shepherd said to put her off.

Reaching home the wife kept harping on the same question. She said, “As long as you don’t tell me why you had laughed on the way home, I shall neither touch food nor water.”

The shepherd consoled her and said, “I cannot tell you the reason of my laughter. If I tell you, I will at once die.”

Hearing this the shepherd’s wife instead of being afraid of the possible tragedy, became annoyed and said, “Is there anyone who dies because of telling a certain thing? I want to know what it could be?”

The whole night the shepherd tried to pacify his wife with his reasons but she remained unmoved. This bickering continued for the whole day. No fire was made in the hearth and nobody cooked any food. In the evening the shepherd sat brooding over the incident. Just near his bitch was lying on the cot all woebegone and hungry. The dog brought a crumb of bread from somewhere and throwing it before her, said, “Go ahead, eat this bit of food.”

“I am not going to eat anything today. Our master is very sad and worried,” said the bitch. “Why?” asked the dog.

“Our mistress wants to know some secret from our master. The master says he will die if he tells the secret to her.”

“Our master is trapped by his wife’s talk. He is probably shouting for his own death. Can’t he put some sense into his wife’s head? If the mistress still wants her husband to die, then he should also have no consideration for her. Why doesn’t he beat his stubborn wife with a club and put her on the right track of mind? The rod sets right all scoundrels,” opined the dog.

The shepherd was overhearing both of them. He thought, “The dog speaks the truth. One who has become indifferent should be shown no grace.” Instantly he picked up a big stick and said staring into his wife’s eyes, “You desire my death. I shall not leave you alive.” He delivered a couple of blows on the back of his wife.

The thrashing brought the shepherd’s wife back to her senses. Apologising and pleading for mercy, she begged her husband, “Forgive me just once. I will never pester you with my questions again.”

Thereafter the shepherd’s wife never tried to ask him the reasons for his laughter.