A merchant sends his son with three hundred rupees to seek his fortune in trade. The son, however, spends all his money rescuing a dog, a cat, and a snake from being killed. When he returns home, his father scolds him and banishes him to the stables, where he lives with his new animal companions. The snake reveals it is the son of a king and offers to take the young man to its father, promising rewards for saving its life. They dive into a sacred spring, and the young man is welcomed by the king, who gifts him a magical ring, pot, and spoon. Using the ring, the young man creates a beautiful home and marries a princess. However, the princess inadvertently loses her hair in a reed, which is found by a prince who becomes infatuated with her. The prince's father seeks help from an ogress, who deceives the princess into giving her the ring. The ogress then uses it to summon the princess to the prince, leaving the merchant's son heartbroken. The dog and cat, loyal to their master, vow to retrieve the princess and the ring. They devise a plan involving the rat community to recover the ring from the ogress. After a series of mishaps, including the dog losing the ring multiple times, they finally succeed in retrieving it. The cat kills a kite that had taken the ring, and they return to their master. With the ring restored, the young man speaks to it, and his wife and home reappear. They live happily ever after, having overcome trials and demonstrated loyalty and friendship.
By Joseph Jacobs · First published 1895 · Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Adventure