Long ago, a wealthy merchant decided that his son was old enough to make his own way in the world. He gave the young man three hundred rupees and advised him to travel to another country, where he could establish himself through trade.
The young man set off with his money, eager to begin his new life. However, he had not travelled very far when he encountered a group of herdsmen arguing over a dog. Some wanted to kill the animal, while others were unwilling to do so.
Feeling sorry for the helpless creature, the merchant’s son immediately offered them one hundred rupees if they would spare its life. The herdsmen accepted, and the young man continued his journey with the dog beside him.
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Before long, he came across another quarrel. This time, a group of people were fighting over a cat, and some were threatening to kill it. Once again, the young man intervened.
“Please, do not harm the cat. I will give you one hundred rupees for it.”
The people happily accepted his offer, and the cat joined his growing company.
He continued travelling until he reached a village where some people had caught a snake. They were arguing about whether to kill it. Moved by the creature’s helplessness, the young man offered another hundred rupees to save its life.
The villagers agreed, and the snake became his third companion.
By then, all three hundred rupees were gone. Instead of making a fortune through trade, the young man had spent his entire inheritance rescuing a dog, a cat, and a snake.
With no money left and no business to pursue, he had little choice but to return home.
His father was furious when he heard what had happened.
“You foolish boy! I gave you money to establish yourself, and you have wasted every rupee on three animals. Since you have shown such poor judgement, go and live in the stables. You are no longer welcome in my house.”
The young man accepted his punishment and went to live among the cattle. His bed was the grass laid out for the animals, and his only companions were the three creatures he had rescued.
Yet the animals grew deeply attached to him. They followed him wherever he went and stayed close to him at night. The cat slept at his feet, the dog rested near his head, and the snake curled itself across his body.
The young man had lost his father’s favour and all his money, but he had gained three loyal friends.
The Snake’s Secret
One day, while they were together in the stable, the snake began speaking to its master.
“I have something important to tell you,” it said. “I am the son of Raja Indrasha. I had once come out of the ground to enjoy the air when some people caught me and intended to kill me. You arrived just in time and saved my life. I have never forgotten what you did for me.”
The young man was astonished to discover that his companion was a prince.
“My father would be delighted to meet the man who saved his son,” the snake continued. “He would surely wish to reward you for your kindness.”
“Where does your father live?” asked the young man. “I would be glad to meet him.”
The snake pointed towards a distant mountain.
“At its foot is a sacred spring. If you come with me and dive into its waters, we shall reach my father’s kingdom. He will welcome you warmly. And if he asks what reward you desire, I suggest you request the ring on his right hand, together with his famous pot and spoon.”
The young man wondered why the snake recommended those particular gifts.
“The ring possesses extraordinary powers,” the snake explained. “Whenever its owner speaks to it, a beautiful, fully furnished house appears. The pot and spoon can provide all kinds of delicious food. With these gifts, you will never have to worry about shelter or provisions again.”
The young man was delighted by the prospect and agreed to accompany the snake.
When they reached the spring, the dog and cat became anxious.
“Master, what will happen to us?” they asked. “Where shall we go while you are away?”
“Stay here and wait for me,” he replied. “I shall return before long.”
With those words, he plunged into the water alongside the snake and disappeared beneath the surface.
The dog and cat remained at the spring as instructed. When the dog began worrying about how they would find food, the cat reassured him.
“Do not be troubled. I shall visit the houses nearby and find enough food for both of us.”
And so they waited together, sharing whatever the cat managed to obtain.
Meanwhile, the young man and the snake arrived safely in Raja Indrasha’s kingdom. News of their arrival quickly reached the ruler, who ordered that his son and the stranger be brought before him.
However, the snake refused to approach its father until the young man had been released from his service. It explained that the stranger had saved its life and that it could not abandon the person to whom it owed such a great debt.
Raja Indrasha was moved by his son’s loyalty and grateful to the young man for rescuing him. He embraced his son, welcomed the stranger into his kingdom, and treated him with great kindness.
The merchant’s son remained there for several days. When the time came for him to return home, the Raja gave him the ring from his right hand, together with the magical pot and spoon, as a reward for saving his son.
The young man thanked the Raja and returned through the sacred spring. At the top, he found the dog and cat waiting faithfully for him.
All three companions were overjoyed to be reunited. They shared their experiences and then decided to discover whether the snake’s description of the magical gifts was true.
The young man spoke to the ring, and instantly a beautiful house appeared before them. Along with it came a lovely princess with magnificent golden hair. He then spoke to the pot and spoon, and they provided an abundance of delicious food.
The young man married the princess, and together they settled into their wonderful new home. For several years, they lived happily, enjoying the comfort and abundance that the magical gifts had brought them.
But their peaceful life was soon disturbed by an unexpected discovery.
The Ogress and the Stolen Ring
One morning, while preparing herself, the princess gathered some loose strands of her beautiful golden hair and placed them inside a hollow piece of reed. She then threw the reed into the river flowing beneath her window.
The little reed floated downstream, travelling for many miles until it was eventually discovered by a prince from a neighbouring kingdom.
Curious about what it contained, the prince opened it. When he saw the golden strands inside, he became overwhelmed by the thought of the beautiful woman to whom they belonged.
He returned to his palace, shut himself inside his room, and refused to come out. He would neither eat nor drink, sleep nor move. He insisted that the woman whose hair he had found must be brought to him.
His father, the king, grew increasingly worried. He feared that his son might die from his strange obsession, leaving the kingdom without an heir.
Desperate for a solution, the king sought help from his aunt, an old ogress.
The ogress assured him that she could obtain the beautiful woman for his son.
She first transformed herself into a bee and flew away in search of the princess. Once she had located the young woman’s home, she changed her appearance again, this time taking the form of an elderly woman leaning on a walking stick.
Approaching the princess, she introduced herself as a long-lost aunt.
“I am your aunt,” she explained. “I left the family shortly after you were born, and we have never had the opportunity to meet.”
To make her story convincing, the old woman embraced and kissed the princess.
The princess believed her. Delighted to have discovered a relative she had never known, she welcomed the stranger warmly and invited her to stay for as long as she wished.
The ogress accepted the hospitality, secretly pleased that her plan was progressing so easily.
For three days, she behaved like a loving relative, gradually earning the princess’s trust. Then she began speaking about the magical ring.
“Your husband is often away hunting,” she said. “It would be safer if you kept such a valuable possession yourself. He might lose it while travelling.”
The princess considered the advice sensible. She asked her husband for the ring, and he willingly handed it over.
The ogress waited another day before asking to see the precious object. The unsuspecting princess showed it to her.
The moment the ring was within reach, the ogress seized it. She immediately transformed herself into a bee and flew away towards the palace where the prince was waiting.
She found him still lying helplessly in his room.
“Rise up!” she announced. “There is no longer any reason to grieve. I have brought you the magical ring. With it, you can summon the woman you desire.”
The prince was overjoyed. Without wasting another moment, he spoke to the ring and commanded the beautiful woman to appear before him.
Instantly, the princess’s house descended into the palace garden, bringing her along with it.
The prince rushed inside and declared his love, begging her to become his wife.
The princess was frightened and confused. Finding no immediate way to escape his demands, she agreed on one condition: he must wait for one month before they could marry.
The Cat’s Clever Plan
Meanwhile, the merchant’s son returned from hunting and discovered that his house and wife had vanished.
Nothing remained of the beautiful home that the ring had created. The place looked exactly as it had before he had received the magical gifts.
Overwhelmed by grief, he sat down and considered taking his own life.
Just then, the dog and cat approached him. They had hidden themselves when they saw the house disappear, but now they came forward to comfort their master.
“Please, do not give up,” they pleaded. “We can still put things right. Give us one month. We shall find your wife and bring her home.”
The young man looked at his faithful companions.
“Go, then,” he said. “May God help you. Bring back my wife, and I shall have a reason to live again.”
The cat and dog immediately set off.
They travelled until they reached the kingdom where their mistress and her house had been taken. The cat quickly understood that the king’s family had seized everything for themselves.
“Wait here,” the cat told the dog. “I shall find a way into the house and speak to our mistress.”
The dog remained outside while the cat climbed towards a window and slipped into the room where the princess was sitting.
The princess immediately recognised her old companion. She was delighted to see the cat and told it everything that had happened since the ogress had stolen the ring.
“Is there any way we can escape from these people?” she asked anxiously.
“There is,” replied the cat, “but first I must know where the magical ring is.”
The princess explained that the ogress had swallowed it.
The cat understood that recovering the ring was the key to restoring their master’s home and happiness.
“I shall find it,” it promised.
The clever animal descended from the window and went to a nearby rat hole. There, it lay down and pretended to be dead.
As luck would have it, the rats of that neighbourhood were celebrating a wedding. Their prince, the eldest son of the Rat King, was about to be married, and the entire rat community had gathered for the occasion.
When the wedding procession emerged from the hole, the cat spotted the bridegroom and immediately seized him.
“Please, let him go!” cried the frightened rats. “It is his wedding day!”
“Not until you help me,” replied the cat. “The ogress who lives in the palace has swallowed a ring that I must recover. If you bring it to me, I shall release your prince unharmed. Otherwise, I shall kill him.”
The rats were horrified at the threat, but they agreed to help.
They promised that if they failed to recover the ring, the cat could devour them all.
That night, while the ogress slept, one of the rats crept towards her bed. It climbed onto her face and carefully inserted its tail into her throat.
The ogress began coughing violently. Suddenly, the magical ring came out of her mouth and fell onto the floor.
The rat quickly seized it and carried it to the Rat King, who was delighted to have his son released.
The cat received the ring and immediately hurried away to reunite with the dog.
At last, they had recovered the precious object. All they needed to do was take it back to their master, who could summon his wife and house once more.
But their troubles were not yet over.
The Dog’s Jealousy and the Lost Ring
On their journey home, the cat and dog reached a stream that they needed to cross.
The dog entered the water and began swimming, while the cat climbed onto its back, carefully holding the magical ring.
As they crossed, the dog became jealous of the cat.
“Give me the ring,” it demanded. “I can carry it just as well as you.”
The cat refused, but the dog threatened to throw it into the water unless it handed over the precious object.
With no choice, the cat surrendered the ring.
Unfortunately, the careless dog immediately dropped it. Before either animal could retrieve it, a fish swallowed the ring and disappeared beneath the water.
The dog was horrified.
“What have I done?” it cried. “How will we ever get the ring back?”
The cat remained calm.
“What has happened has happened. We must find a way to recover it. Otherwise, we may as well give up and drown ourselves in this stream.”
Then the cat devised another plan.
“Go and find a small lamb. Kill it and bring it back here.”
The dog obeyed and soon returned with a dead lamb.
The cat climbed inside the lamb’s body and lay perfectly still. It instructed the dog to move some distance away and remain quiet.
Before long, a strange bird called a nadhar appeared. According to the tale, this bird possessed a remarkable power: its gaze could break the bones of a fish.
The bird spotted the dead lamb, swooped down, and prepared to carry it away.
At that moment, the cat sprang out and landed on the bird.
“Do not try to escape,” it warned. “You must help me recover a ring that has been swallowed by a fish.”
The nadhar readily agreed.
It flew away to the King of the Fishes and ordered him to investigate. The fish king made inquiries throughout his kingdom until the missing ring was discovered.
The precious object was recovered and returned to the cat.
The cat was delighted.
“Come along!” it called to the dog. “I have found the ring again. We must hurry home.”
But the dog had not learned its lesson.
Once more, it demanded possession of the ring.
“I can carry it too,” the dog insisted. “Give it to me.”
The cat was reluctant, but the dog threatened it again. Having no choice, the cat handed over the ring.
And, just as before, the dog dropped it.
This time, however, a kite swooped down, seized the ring, and flew away with it towards a large tree.
The dog was overcome with regret.
“Oh, what have I done now?” it cried.
The cat looked up and spotted where the bird had landed.
“Stop barking!” it warned. “You will frighten it away, and then we may never find the ring.”
The cat waited until darkness fell. When night had settled over the land, it climbed the tree, killed the kite, and recovered the magical ring.
At last, the ring was safely in its possession once more.
The dog was thoroughly ashamed of its behaviour. It apologised to the cat for all the trouble it had caused and did not dare ask to carry the ring again.
Together, they continued their journey.
The Merchant’s Son Reunites with His Wife
By the time the cat and dog arrived, their master was still waiting anxiously, fearing that his last hope had failed.
The moment he saw his companions returning with the magical ring, his sadness gave way to joy.
They had kept their promise.
The young man took the ring and spoke to it. Immediately, his beautiful house reappeared, and his beloved princess returned to him.
His happiness was complete. The faithful cat and dog had succeeded where everyone else had failed.
The young man was reunited with his wife, his home was restored, and the magical gifts once again provided everything they needed.
After all their adventures, the companions could finally live together in peace and happiness.
And so, the merchant’s son discovered that the kindness he had shown three helpless creatures at the beginning of his journey had brought him loyal friends whose devotion would eventually save everything he held dear.
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Moral
Kindness is never wasted, and compassion can create friendships that become invaluable in difficult times. The story also teaches that loyalty, intelligence, and cooperation are more useful than jealousy and selfishness.
The cat’s cleverness and determination ultimately accomplish what strength alone cannot.
Knowledge Check
1. How much money did the merchant give his son before sending him away?
Answer: Three hundred rupees.
2. Which three animals did the young man rescue?
Answer: A dog, a cat, and a snake.
3. Who was the snake’s father?
Answer: Raja Indrasha, the ruler of the snake’s kingdom.
4. What magical gifts did the young man receive?
Answer: A charmed ring that could produce a beautiful furnished house, and a magical pot and spoon that supplied delicious food.
5. How did the ogress obtain the ring?
Answer: She disguised herself as the princess’s long-lost aunt, gained her confidence, persuaded her to take possession of the ring, and then stole it.
6. How did the cat recover the ring from the ogress?
Answer: It persuaded the rats to help. One rat climbed onto the sleeping ogress and inserted its tail into her throat, making her cough up the ring.
7. Which animal repeatedly lost the ring?
Answer: The dog, whose jealousy made it insist on carrying the ring.
8. What ultimately restored the merchant’s son’s happiness?
Answer: The cat and dog successfully recovered the ring and returned it to their master, who used it to summon his house and wife again.
Source
Indian Fairy Tales, selected and edited by Joseph Jacobs, illustrated by John Dickson Batten. Published in London by David Nutt, 270–271 Strand, 1892.
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