Long ago, there was a wise king known for his extraordinary knowledge and fairness.
很久以前，有一位国王以卓越的智慧和公正闻名。
His secret was a dish of white snake that he ate in secret every day.
他的秘密是每天偷偷吃一盘白蛇肉。
One day, the king’s trusted servant grew curious about this dish.
一天，国王信任的侍从对这道菜感到好奇。
When he was alone, the servant tasted a small piece of the white snake.
趁没人时，侍从尝了一小口白蛇肉。
The moment he ate it, he could understand the language of animals.
他立刻听懂了动物的语言。
He heard birds gossiping, insects whispering, and animals sharing secrets.
他听到鸟儿八卦，昆虫低语，动物分享秘密。
Soon after, the queen’s ring went missing, and suspicion fell on the servant.
不久后，王后的戒指丢失了，怀疑落在了侍从身上。
The king said, “Find the thief, or you will be punished!”
国王说：“找出小偷，否则你将受罚！”
Desperate, the servant listened to a group of ducks quacking by the river.
绝望之下，侍从听到河边一群鸭子嘎嘎叫。
One duck said, “I swallowed the queen’s ring!”
其中一只鸭子说：“我吞了王后的戒指！”
The servant caught the duck, retrieved the ring, and returned it to the king.
侍从抓住鸭子，取回了戒指，并将其交还给国王。
Grateful, the king pardoned him, and he left the court to explore the world.
国王感激地赦免了他，他离开宫廷去探索世界。
On his journey, the servant came across three fish stranded on the shore.
旅途中，侍从遇到三条搁浅在岸边的鱼。
The fish pleaded for help, and he threw them back into the water.
鱼恳求他的帮助，他将它们扔回水中。
“Thank you!” they said. “We’ll remember your kindness.”
“谢谢！”它们说，“我们会记住你的善举。”
Later, he saved an ant colony from being trampled and spared a group of ravens from hunters.
后来，他救了一群差点被踩死的蚂蚁，并让一群乌鸦免于猎人捕杀。
Both the ants and ravens promised to repay his kindness.
蚂蚁和乌鸦都承诺将报答他的善意。
Eventually, the servant arrived in a kingdom where the princess had set a challenge.
最终，侍从来到一个王国，这里的公主设下了挑战。
To win her hand, a suitor had to complete three impossible tasks.
想娶她，求婚者必须完成三个不可能的任务。
The first task was to retrieve her ring from the bottom of the sea.
第一个任务是从海底捞回她的戒指。
The servant despaired until the fish he had saved appeared and brought the ring to him.
侍从感到绝望，直到他救过的鱼出现，把戒指带给了他。
The second task was to collect ten sacks of millet scattered across a field overnight.
第二个任务是一夜之间收集散落在田间的十袋小米。
The ants he had rescued swarmed to his aid, gathering every grain by morning.
他救过的蚂蚁前来帮助，天亮前收集了所有的小米。
For the final task, the servant had to fetch an apple from the Tree of Life.
最后一个任务是从生命之树上摘取一颗苹果。
The ravens he had spared flew to the tree and returned with the apple.
他救过的乌鸦飞向生命之树，带回了苹果。
The princess, impressed by his success, agreed to marry him.
公主对他的成功印象深刻，答应嫁给他。
The two lived happily, and the servant used his gift to help animals and people alike.
他们幸福地生活，侍从用他的天赋帮助动物和人类。
His kindness and wisdom earned him respect and love throughout the land.
他的善良与智慧赢得了全王国的尊敬与爱戴。
