The Mythology & Folklore Database
That minute he heard a cry, and someone called, "Oh, good man, take pity on me! Roll off the stone and save my life. Free me, and I will pay you as the world pays best!"
The peasant rolled the stone away, and out of the hole a great snake crawled, wound himself into a spiral, raised up his head, and said, "Know, man, that I am Yaza! Get ready, you must die."
The peasant was terribly frightened, and lamenting he reproached the snake with ingratitude. "Didn't you call for help? Haven't I saved your life?" asked he.
"Of course," replied the snake, "but I am only doing what I promised; I am paying you as the world pays best."
After a long discussion the snake agreed to let another settle the dispute, and they went together in search of a judge. After a while they came to where an old dog was tied to a fence.
"How are you, faithful guardian of a house?" asked the peasant.
"As you see," replied the dog.
"Be so kind as to be our judge; we have a dispute."
And the peasant told the whole story. "Wasn't it so and so?" asked he, turning to the snake.
"It was," answered the snake.
The dog thought a while, then said to the man, "My friend, you must die, for this is just how the world pays best. When I was young I was my master's favorite. He wore the skins of the wolves and foxes which I caught; I guarded his house from thieves. My master was fond of me. When offered a carriage and horses he refused to sell me. But now, when I am old and weak and can neither run nor bark, he has led me out here and tied me to the fence to stay till some man kills me for my skin. This is the world's reward."
The peasant, seeing that he had lost his case, begged to look for another judge. The snake consented and they went through forests and across fields till they came to an old half-starved horse. His head was hanging down, his sides had fallen in, and he was covered with flies which he had not strength to drive away.
"How are you, noble beast?" asked the peasant.
"As you see," replied the horse.
The peasant told him the story and begged him to decide for them.
The horse listened patiently to the man's complaint, then decided in favor of the snake, saying, "This is the world's reward. "When I was young," said he, "I had every comfort. When I was led out of the stable every one admired me. I carried my master to war. More than once, by my swiftness, I saved his life and helped him to fame. Two men cared for me; they curried me twice each day and gave me the best of oats and hay. My stable was like a parlor. In summer they covered me with a net that flies might not bite me. My master wouldn't have sold me for a whole village. But when I grew old he starved me, didn't even give me straw to eat. And now he has led me out to this barren field to be killed by the wolves. This is how the world pays best."
"What more do you want, man?" asked the snake.
The peasant begged the snake to let him try a third and last judge. He consented and they went on till at the edge of a forest they saw a fox, running along.
"Oh, Master Fox, wait and be our judge!" called the peasant. "We have a question to decide."
The fox, a cunning fellow, listened to the story, then winked to the peasant, and whispered, aside, "If you will give me all of your hens I will help you out of your trouble."
"What are hens!" said the man. "I will give you the geese too, and if need be all I have in the world."
The fox, pretending to be an impartial judge, said, "This is an important case: one of life and death. The first who judged, judged lightly. In justice the case can only be decided on the spot where everything took place. We will go there."
When they came to the place, the fox said, "We must begin at the beginning. Do you, man, sit down on the stone, and you, snake, crawl into the hole where you were lying."
When they had done as he told them, and the snake was back in the hole, he winked at the man, and said, "Roll the stone over, quickly."
The peasant didn't wait to be told twice. When the hole was covered, and the snake couldn't get out, the peasant thanked the fox for salvation from death.
The fox answered, "But do not forget that I have earned the hens. Tomorrow before daylight, I will come for my breakfast."
The peasant went home as delighted as if he had been born a second time. He told his wife what had happened, praised the wisdom of the fox, and added that he had promised him all the hens, and that the next morning he would come for them.
The woman was glad that her husband was saved, but she was very sorry to lose her hens. The next morning, early, she went to the window and seeing a fox in the yard she called to her husband, "Do you hear, old man? There is a fox in the yard!"
"Oh, that is the fox that saved me. He has come for the hens!"
"Just as if I were crazy enough to give him my hens!" cried the woman. "The Lord be praised that you are alive; but take the gun and kill the fox. You will get good money for his pelt."
The peasant obeyed his wife. He took the gun and firing from the window killed the fox.
Dying, the fox said in a mournful voice, "This is how the world pays best."