Once upon a time there lived a king. He once had a dream and in his dream he saw that foxes are falling from the sky. He summoned all the court’s wise men and magicians, and narrated his dream to them, and asked them to tell the meaning of his dream within forty days, and if they cannot then he will behead all of them.
In the village , not far from the king’s palace there lived a man with his wife. They so poor that it was very difficult to earn their daily bread for them.
When they heard about the king’s orders, the woman asked her husband to go and try to tell the meaning of the dream. “If he does not unravel the meaning, the king will behead him, and at least I will get freedom from him”- thought the woman.
The man tried to convince the woman but the woman did not listen to him. So seeing this that he could not convince his wife, the man took his stick and went on the journey. On the way, he met a big snake who was just coming out from under a big stone.
- Where are you going, Sivar?- the snake asked.
- Well, I myself don’t know- the man answered.
- Sivar, don’t be afraid- the snake said- just go to the king and tell him: “King, you have dreamt that foxes are falling from the sky; this means, you are surrounded by liars and cunning persons, and you must always be alert so that they don’t harm you.” But please know this: whatever prize you get from the king for this, give me half of it.
The man went away and told the king exactly what the snake had told him.
The king became overjoyed and asked his minister to give the man four camel loads of treasures from his treasury and called all the wise man and magicians and named the name as the court’s dream revealer in front of them.
Sivar got the gold, and started to go towards his home, but did not take the same path he took while coming, so that the snake does not see him and ask for his share from the gold he got.
Sivar’s wife became very happy when she saw the gold.
The years passed by, and the king again saw a dream: blood was raining down from the sky. Again he summoned the wise man to reveal the meaning of the dream. But then Sivar the court’s dream revealer, came to his mind and he ordered his men to go and search vigorously for him and then the king’s man found him and told him why the king had called him. “Now what should I do”
First the snake had helped me but I did not give him his share. But now the king will behead me. But I can’t do anything, again I will go to the snake, and in case she helps me , and if not then let it kill me” – Sivar thought and went to the snake.
When Sivar reached the stone, the snake came out from under the stone and said this:
- Welcome, Sivar brother, how are you? You cheated me last time and did not give me my share of the prize. Never mind! Now the king has dreamt that blood is raining from the sky, which means that the king’s enemies want to attack him. So now he must summon and make his army ready, so he will escape from the danger. But take care this time to bring me half of whatever you get from the king!
- I will bear this is mind- Sivar answered and greeted the snake by bowing in front of her and went to the king.
He stood in front of the king and said:
- I greet you, king! You dreamt that blood is raining from the sky. This means that your enemies are going to attack you. Call your army and be ready and then the enemies will not be able to hurt you!
The king thanked Sivar and gave him the double amount of prize than he got earlier and sent him home.
Sivar lost his head when he saw the king’s gift and then he forgot about the snake’s help. He thought for a while and then decided to kill the snake and conserve his prize.
“Then this will be enough for me and my granchildren and also for my great grandchildren! I don’t need the snake now. As far as the king is concerned: well he does not see a dream like that every day!”- Sivar thought.
With this his loaded his camel with the king’s gifts and went to the big stone. When the snake came out, Sivar lept towards her and hit her with a stone. But the snake had time to slither away and the stone just touched her and hurt her tail.
Then some years passed and then the king dreamt that wheat is raining from the sky. This time the king did not summon the court’s wise men but straight away called Sivar. Sivar was very afraid when the king’s messengers went to take him:
- Oh I think, its my end now, the king will behead me this time!
Then he thought for a while and then decided: “ If anyhow I have to lose, then let the snake kill me, who did good to me and I did bad to her” And then went towards the big stone.
- Welcome, Sivar, my foolish friend! Well you never thought that the king could call you again and without me you cannot manage?- said the snake while slithering out from under the stone.
- Oh, my younger sister – answered Sivar to the snake-, I have harmed you, now I have come here, you can do whatever you want with me.
- No, I do good in reply to the bad- answered the snake. Go to the king and say: “You saw that wheat is raining from the sky. This means that there will be abundance in your kingdom, and you will not know what is sadness till the end of your life.” The king will give you a lot of gold for this but bring the half of it to me.
- I will keep this in mind- answered Sivar- and may God help me to come and stand in front of you with a clean heart.
When Sivar presented himself in the king’s court and explained the meaning of his dream, and then he was treated with sherbet and the king awarded Sivar with seven times the gold amount he got the last time. Sivar then loaded his camel with all the treasure and then went on his journey towards home. On the way he thought: “The snake who did good to me, I once cheated her, the other time I almost killed her. It’s enough whatever I have now, and now I will give all this that I got now to the snake for her kindness”
When he reached the big stone, Sivar called the snake:
- Come and take your due.
- Brother, I don’t need these earthly treasures- the snake answered-, I was just testing you. On the first occasion while coming back from the king you changed your path: it was the year of fox, the year of cunningness, that’s why you cheated me, and went by the other path; the second time, when you threw a stone on me and my blood flew: it was the year of the blood, that’s why the king saw that blood was raining from the sky. Now however the king saw wheat in his dreams, it’s the time of abundance, now the man’s helplessness is over. Take your treasure and go home.
The snake said this and disappeared. Sivar loaded his camel with the gold and went home, and lived happily in abundance, ever after.
Translated from Hungarian by me
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