The Crimson Fairy Book_68

no benefit to you, for if I granted it to you and you told any one of it, you would immediately die; ask me rather for whatever else you would most like to possess, and it shall be yours.鈥� But the shepherd answered him: 鈥楽ir, if you wish to reward me for saving your daughter, grant me, I pray you, to know the language of beasts. I desire nothing else鈥� and he turned as if to depart.
Then the king called him back, saying: 鈥業f nothing else will satisfy you, open your mouth.鈥�The man obeyed, and the king spat into it, and said: 鈥楴ow spit into my mouth.鈥�The shepherd did as he was told, then the King of the Snakes spat again into the shepherd鈥檚 mouth. When they had spat into each other鈥檚 mouths three times, the king said:
鈥楴ow you know the language of beasts, go in peace; but, if you value your life, beware lest you tell any one of it, else you will immediately die.鈥� So the shepherd set out for home, and on his way through the wood he heard and understood all that was said by the birds, and by every living creature.