The Soldier and the Snake
Once upon a time, at the edge of an old forest where cool waters flowed, a weary soldier who had fought for years was returning home. As the wind howled among the branches of the giant pine trees, he saw a huge snake writhing helplessly beside the path. The scales of this creature, trapped beneath a heavy piece of rock, gleamed like emerald in the last rays of the sun. The brave soldier overcame his fear, approached the snake carefully and felt the sorrow in its pain-filled gaze. In that murmuring silence of the forest, mercy filled the hero's breast as a feeling stronger than the sword. The giant snake said with a whisper that belonged to humans, "If you free me from this burden, I will give you a treasure that will suffice you all your life." Without hesitating at all, the soldier gripped the heavy rock with his muscular arms and lifted it up with all his strength.
The snake, which reached freedom from the place where it was trapped, coiled around the soldier but did him no harm. Saying, "I have met a noble soul who keeps his word," it led the soldier to a mysterious cave covered with moss. The depths of the cave overflowed with golden goblets, diamonds and gleaming ancient objects. The snake warned, "You may take as many jewels as you wish, but if you are greedy you will never leave this cave." Looking at the priceless wealth in the cave, the soldier took only enough gold coins to fill his bag. "Greed does not befit the honour of a hero; for me only enough for my journey is sufficient," he replied. Faced with this noble and honest manner of the soldier, the snake bowed its head with deep respect.
In truth this snake was an ancient forest guardian who watched over the land and tested the virtue in the hearts of people. The courage and contentment the soldier showed broke the sealed spell of the cave forever. The snake gave the soldier a legendary talisman that brings abundance and saw him off to the mouth of the cave. The weary soldier set out for his village with both the peace of his conscience and the reward of his honesty. From that day on he never suffered want in all his life and was remembered as a just man. Goodness and a true word are the brightest torch that lights a person's way even in the hardest moments. Do good and throw it into the sea; if the fish does not know it, the Creator does.