!"saidhismother."Gotoconfessionatonce,andyoullseewhatthepriesthastosaytoyou."
Theboywenttoconfession."Stealingisasin,"saidthepriest,"unlessyoustealfromthieves."
Theboywenttothewoodsandfoundthieves.Heknockedattheirdoorandgothimselfhiredasaservant.
"Westeal,"explainedthethieves,"butwerenotcommittingasin,becausewerobthetaxcollectors."
Onenightwhenthethieveshadgoneouttorobataxcollector,theboyledthebestmuleoutofthestable,loadeditwithgoldpieces,andfled.
Hetookthegoldtohismother,thenwenttotowntolookforwork.Inthattownwasakingwhohadahundredsheep,butnoonewantedtobehisshepherd.Theboyvolunteered,andthekingsaid,"Look,therearethehundredsheep.Takethemouttomorrowmorningtothemeadow,butdontcrossthebrook,becausetheywouldbeeatenbyaserpentontheotherside.Ifyoucomebackwithnonemissing,Illrewardyou.Failtobringthemallback,andIlldismissyouonthespot,unlesstheserpenthasalreadydevouredyoutoo."
Toreachthemeadow,hehadtowalkbythekingswindows,wherethekingsdaughterhappenedtobestanding.Shesawtheboy,likedhislooks,andthrewhimacake.Hecaughtitandcarrieditalongtoeatinthemeadow.Onreachingthemeadow,hesawawhitestoneinthegrassandsaid,"Illsitdownnowandeatthecakefromthekingsdaughter."Butthestonehappenedtobeontheothersideofthebrook.Theshepherdpaidnoattentionandjumpedacrossthebrook,withthesheepallfollowinghim.
Thegrasswashighthere,andthesheepgrazedpeacefully,whilehesatonthestoneeatinghiscake.Allofasuddenhefeltablowundertherockwhichseemedtoshaketheworlditself.Theboylookedallaroundbut,seeingnothing,wentoneatinghiscake.Anotherblowmorepowerfulthanthefirstfollowed,buttheshepherdignoredit.Therewasathirdblow,andoutfromundertherockcrawledaserpentwiththreeheads.Ineachofitsmouthsitheldaroseandcrawledtowardtheboy,asthoughitwantedtoofferhimtheroses.Hewasabouttotakethem,whentheserpentlungedathimwithitsthreemouthsallsettogobblehimupinthreebites.Butthelittleshepherdprovedthequicker,clubbingitwithhisstaffoveroneheadandthenextandthenextuntiltheserpentlaydead.
Thenhecutoffthethreeheadswithasickle,puttingtwoofthemintohishuntingjacke
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