Let me tell you about a king who was famous for many things, but most famous for his dinner! Every evening, a special covered dish was brought to him. No one knew what was inside, not even his most trusted servant. The servant was very curious.

One day, after the servant carried the dish away, he just couldn't resist. He peeked under the lid. Inside, lay a piece of a white snake. He took the tiniest nibble. Suddenly, he heard little voices! "Chirp, chirp! What a lovely crumb!" It was the sparrows outside the window! The servant could understand what animals were saying!

Soon after, the Queen lost her most precious ring. Everyone searched, but it was nowhere to be found. The servant was the main suspect because he was always around. The King said, "If you don't find that ring by tomorrow, you'll be considered the thief!"

The servant was very worried. He walked by the palace pond. He heard some ducks quacking sadly. "Oh dear, I swallowed something hard and shiny! It's stuck in my tummy!" one duck complained. The servant, understanding them, asked the duck to come ashore. Sure enough, with a little help, the duck coughed up the Queen's ring!

The King was amazed and offered the servant a reward. But the servant, now eager for adventure, asked if he could have a horse and some money to see the world. The King agreed.

As he rode, he came to a pond where three fish were caught in the reeds, gasping for air. "Oh, please help us back into the water!" they cried. The servant carefully lifted them and put them back. "Thank you!" they gurgled. "If you ever need us, just call by the shore!"

Further on, he heard tiny voices. "Watch out! Watch out for the horse's hooves!" It was an ant king, whose ants were about to be trodden on. The servant carefully guided his horse around them. "Thank you, kind traveler!" said the ant king. "If you ever need us, just call!"

Later, he saw two parent ravens pushing their young ones out of the nest. "Fly! You're big enough!" they cawed. But the little ravens tumbled to the ground, crying, "We're too weak! We're hungry!" The kind servant felt sorry for them. His horse was old and tired, and wouldn't make it much further. So, he made sure the baby ravens had plenty to eat from it. "Thank you, thank you!" the young ravens chirped, feeling stronger. "If you ever need us, just call!"

The servant walked on and eventually reached a big city. The King of that city had a beautiful daughter, but he had announced that whoever wanted to marry her must complete a difficult task. If they failed, they would be in big trouble.

Many had tried and failed. When the servant arrived, he said he would try.
The King led him to the seashore. "A golden ring of mine was dropped into the sea," he said. "Find it, and you can marry my daughter."

The servant walked along the shore and thought of the fish. He called out, and soon the three fish he had saved swam up. One of them carried a mussel shell, and inside was the golden ring!

The King was surprised, but the Princess was not yet ready. She scattered ten sacks of millet seeds into the grass. "Gather every single seed before sunrise," she said. "If one is missing, you fail."

The servant sat down, wondering how he could do this. Then he remembered the ants. He called out, and the ant king arrived with thousands of ants. All night they worked, and by morning, every seed was neatly piled in the sacks.

The Princess was still not quite satisfied. "There is one more thing," she said. "Bring me an apple from the Tree of Life."
The servant didn't know where the Tree of Life was. He walked and walked, and then sat down sadly. Suddenly, he heard a "Caw! Caw!" Above him were the three young ravens he had fed, now all grown up. "We know where the Tree of Life is!" they said. They flew off and, after a while, returned carrying a beautiful golden apple in their beaks.

The servant joyfully took the apple to the Princess. She took a bite, and her heart was filled with love for him. They shared the apple, got married, and lived happily ever after, always being kind to animals.

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