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 XXXXX rest a little .
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