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This had gone on for a long time, when one day the servant, who

took away the dish, was overcome with such curiosity that he

could not help carrying the dish into his room. When he had

carefully locked the door, he lifted up the cover, and saw a

white snake lying on the dish. But when he saw it he could not

deny himself the pleasure of tasting it, so he cut of a little

bit and put it into his mouth. No sooner had it touched his

tongue than he heard a strange whispering of little voices

outside his window. He went and listened, and then noticed that

it was the sparrows who were chattering together, and telling one

another of all kinds of things which they had seen in the fields

and woods. Eating the snake had given him power of understanding

the language of animals.