O nce a king saw some young boys pelting stones on a Naga serpent. He prevented the boys from killing the snake. Thus, he saved its life. The snake, which was the king of the Naga-World, thanked him and favoured him with a supernatural gift by which he could understand the language of any animal. But he warned him that the divulgence of the secret would cost him his life.

One day, when the king was sitting in his garden and enjoying the breakfast, a small portion of the sweet fell on the ground. Soon he heard an ant shouting, “My God, what a big wagon-ful of sweet has fallen; and there is none to consume it. Ah! I can enjoy all, now.” Hearing this the king smiled and chuckled. The queen, who was sitting next to him, was curious to note the changing countenance of the king. She asked him to tell her the reason for the smile. But the king kept silent; as the divulgence of the secret would cost him his life. The queen felt offended and thought that there was something wrong about her look, which the king did not want to tell in public.

At night, when the king was taking rest in his bed-chamber, the queen repeated the same question and demanded the answer. The king then told her that the divulgence of that secret would cost him his life. Nonetheless, the queen persisted by winging and throwing tantrums. Still when the king kept silence, she attacked his self-respect by calling him a “liar” and muttered that all his expressions of endearment like -“Darling, you are dearer to me than my very life” – were nothing but a pack of lies. The king, however, could not bear the attacks on his self-respect and eventually conceded to divulge the secret on the following day in the royal garden; and made up his mind to sacrifice his life.

Sakka, the lord of the heaven, overheard the king’s resolve and decided to save him, because the king was righteous. So, he picked up one of his nymphets from the heaven and descended on the earth to save the King.