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Overview
A traveler rescues a man, a crow, a rat and a snake after a mountain path collapses beneath them. All promise gratitude, but he expects help chiefly from the human companion. The crow later brings him the queen’s necklace, explicitly telling him its origin. The rescued man betrays his rescuer to the king, and the traveler is imprisoned. The rat then brings food stolen from the palace to prevent him starving.
The snake supplies a different kind of aid. On hearing the prisoner’s story, it promises freedom and changes itself into a ghost. It winds around the king’s neck until he nearly chokes; the pressure can be felt, but its source cannot be seen. The king calls his wise men and lamas, who cast lots and identify the affliction as the work of a patron saint of the prisoner. They advise releasing him and treating him kindly.
The king gives the prisoner money and jewels and sends him away, whereupon the choking stops. The narration explicitly identifies the agent as a magic snake, while the patron-saint description belongs to the diviners’ explanation. It does not provide the snake’s personal name, species or ordinary appearance, or describe a death before its change into a ghost. Crow and rat remain distinct rescuers; neither is said to share its power of transformation.
Origins & earliest records
Tibetan narrated traditions mediated by the Shelton collection
Records & interpretation
Complete tale and ending directly read in the historical English witness.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Tibetan Folk Tales
VII, The Ingratitude of Man, pp.39–43
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
A. L. Shelton, Tibetan Folk Tales, edited by Flora Beal Shelton (1925)
1925 collection. VII, The Ingratitude of Man, pp.39–43
Complete shelton7-complete.html/.txt retained and read, with ending. Distinct actors and reported identifications preserved; no supplied native name or species.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Historical translated folktaleShelton, Tibetan Folk Tales (1925), VII, The Ingratitude of Man, pp.39–43Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
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