“Stay! come here to me, since you will have it at all hazards. Open
your mouth.”
The Shepherd opened his mouth, and the King of the snakes breathed into
it, and said—
“Do you now breathe into my mouth.”
The Shepherd breathed into his mouth, and the Snake King breathed again
into that of the Shepherd. After they had breathed each three times
into the other’s mouth, the King said—
“Now you understand the language of animals, and of all created things.
Go in peace, and God be with you! but for the life of you, tell no one
of this; if you do, you will die on the instant!”
The Shepherd returned home through the forest. As he walked he heard
and understood all that the birds said, and the grass and all the other
things that are upon the earth. When he came to his sheep and found
them all together and quite safe, he laid himself down to rest.
Scarcely had he lain down when there flew two ravens toward him, who
took their perch upon a tree, and began to talk together in their own
language.
“What if that Shepherd only knew that underneath the place where the
black lamb lies there is a cellar full of silver and gold!’
When the Shepherd heard this, he went to his master, and told him of
it. The master took a cart with him, and they dug down to a door
leading to the cave, and removed the treasure to his house. But the
master was an honest man, and gave all the treasure to the Shepherd,
saying—
“My son, all this treasure is yours, for heaven has given it to you.
Buy yourself a house with it, marry, and live happily in it.”
The Shepherd took the treasure, built himself a house, and, having
married, lived a happy life. Soon he became known as the richest man,
not only in his own village, but so rich that there was not his equal
in the whole neighborhood. He had his own shepherd, cow keeper,
hostler, and swineherd; plenty of goods and chattels, and great riches.
One day, just before Christmas, he said to his wife, “Get some wine,
and some brandy, and all things necessary; to-morrow we will go to the
farmyard and take the good things to the shepherds that they may also
enjoy themselves.”
The wife followed his directions and prepared all that he had told her.
When they arrived on the following day at the farmhouse, the master
said to the shepherds in the evening—
“Come here, all of you; eat, drink, and be merry. I will watch over the
flocks for you to-night.” And he went, in very deed, and remained with
the flocks.
About midnight the wolves began to howl and the dogs to bark, and the
wolves said in their language—
“May we come in and do what mischief we like? Then you, too, shall have
your share.”
And the dogs answered in their language, “Come in; and we will eat our
fill with you.”
But among the dogs there was an old one, who had but two teeth in his
head, and he said to the wolves—
“That will not do. So long as I have my two teeth in my head you shall
do no harm to my master nor his.”
The master heard it all, and understood what was said. On the following
morning he ordered all the dogs to be killed save only the old one. The
hinds said, “Heaven forbid, sir; that would be a great pity!” But the
master answered, “Do what I have told you.”
Then he prepared to return home with his wife, and they both mounted
their horses. And as they rode on, the husband got a little ahead,
while the wife fell behind. At last the husband’s horse neighed, and
called to the mare—
“Come on! make haste! Why do you lag behind!”
And the mare answered him, “Ah yes, it is all very easy for you: you
have only one to carry, the master; while I have to carry two, the
mistress and her baby.”
The husband turned round and laughed, and his wife seeing this, urged
the mare forward, overtook her husband, and asked him what he had been
laughing at.
“Nothing; I do not know; just something that came into my mind,”
answered the husband.
But the wife was not satisfied with this answer, and she pressed him
again and again to tell her why he had laughed.