To this the King agreed, and they were employed by him.
The young Rajah gave his own two followers one hundred rupees a day; and, after putting aside one hundred for his own requirements, distributed the rest in charity.
One day the King went to take a bath in the tank, or pond, and while bathing, his ring slipped off and fell into the water.
He therefore called the young Rajah and said to him: “Go and get my ring which is in that tank.”
This made the youth very sad, “For,” thought he, “how am I to get a ring from the bottom of a tank?”
But his servant who had once been a frog begged him not to be sad, and said: “I will get it for you.”
So, quickly taking his old form, he dived into the water and restored the ring to his master, who took it to the King.
Some time after this the King’s daughter was bitten by a snake, and in great danger of death. “Make my child well,” demanded the King of the young Rajah. But this was hard to do, and the youth became sadder than ever.
“Do not despair,” said his servant who had once been a snake, “but put me into the room where the child is, for I understand the treatment for snake-bite.”
As soon as this was done he sucked out all the poison, and the child recovered.