The snake remained still, dazed by the hurt received by the stone. Now, the Rajah felt sorry for it, and thought to himself: “I have taken away its natural food;” so, quickly cutting off a piece of his own flesh, he threw it to the snake, saying: “Here, take this instead.”
The snake took it home, and when its wife saw it, she said: “This is very good flesh; where did you get it?”
The snake told her what had happened, and she said: “Go back to that man and reward him for what he has done.”
Then the snake assumed the form of a man, and, going back to the Rajah, said: “I will be your servant, if you will take me.”
The Rajah agreed, and his new servant followed him.
The frog, meantime, had also gone home and told his wife of the narrow escape he had from the snake, and how a man had saved him from its very jaws.
“Go back,” said she, “and serve him, to prove your gratitude.”
So he also took the form of a man and offered himself as a servant to the Rajah. “Come,” said he, “and we three will live together.”
Then they entered a city belonging to a great King, and the three of them offered to work for him.
“But,” said the young Rajah, “I will only work on condition that you pay me a thousand rupees a day.”