e spit for some time.' So he chopped off her head, and
when she was opened there was the Queen's ring in her stomach.

It was easy enough now for the servant to prove his innocence, and the
King, feeling he had done him an injustice, and anxious to make some
amends, desired him to ask any favour he chose, and promised to give him
the highest post at Court he could wish for.

The servant, however, declined everything, and only begged for a horse
and some money to enable him to travel, as he was anxious to see
something of the world.

When his request was granted, he set off on his journey, and in the
course of it he one day came to a large pond, on the edge of which he
noticed three fishes which had got entangled in the reeds and were
gasping for water. Though fish are generally supposed to be quite mute,
he heard them grieving aloud at the prospect of dying in this wretched
manner. Having a very kind heart he dismounted and soon set the
prisoners free, and in the water once more. They flapped with joy, and
stretching up their heads cried to him: 'We will remember, and reward
you for saving us.'

He rode further, and after a while he thought he heard a voice in the
sand under his feet. He paused to listen, and heard the King of the Ants
complaining: 'If only men with their awkward beasts would keep clear of
us! That stupid horse is crushing my people mercilessly to death with
his great hoofs.' The servant at once turned into a side path, and the
Ant-King called after him, 'We'll remember and reward you.'

The road next led through a wood, where he saw a father and a mother
raven standing by their nest and throwing out their young: 'Away with
you, you young rascals!' they cried, 'we can't feed you any longer. You
are quite big enough to support yourselves now.' The poor little birds
lay on the ground flapping and beating their wings, and shrieked, 'We
poor helpless children, feed ourselves indeed! Why, we can't even fly
yet; what can we do but die of hunger?' Then the kind youth dismounted,
drew his sword, and killing his horse left it there as food for the
young ravens. They hopped up, satisfied their hunger, and piped: 'We'll
remember, and reward you!'

He was now obliged to trust to his own legs, and after walking a long
way he reached a big town. Here he found a great crowd and much
commotion in the streets, and a herald rode about announcing, 'The
King's daughter seeks a husband, but whoever would woo her must