Chain-Jee was a snake who lived in a forest. Unlike the other snakes Chain-Jee refused to eat meat. Chain-Jee ate berries and other fruit, only.

The other snakes made fun of Chain-Jee for not eating meat like all the other snakes. Chain-Jee left home never to return because of all the teasing. Chain-Jee looked for a place to live where there were no other snakes.

For days and days Chain-Jee traveled and lived in different places. Each time she found other snakes around, Chain-Jee moved on.

At last, high up a mountainside that was covered with forest trees and grass, she found a place where there were no snakes because it was cold.

When there are snakes in a cold country, it is because in that country there are cold Winters and hot Summers. During the cold Winters, the snakes hibernate. Chain-Jee preferred to not hibernate.

The land where Chain-Jee eventually decided to live was wintry cold all-year which meant Chain-Jee was the only snake living there.

There were lots of other animals around. Birds and rabbits and squirrels and porcupines and skunks and badgers and beavers and mongooses, and others. Chain-Jee got along with all the animals; except one species.

The mongooses. All the other animals around did not eat other animals. The mongooses were the only one. Mongooses eat snakes.

This was a mystery to Chain-Jee. Why were mongooses living in a land where there had never been snakes before Chain-Jee arrived?

As long as Chain-Jee lived in the trees, there was no danger from the mongooses because mongooses never bothered to learn to climb trees.

There were lots and lots of berries and sweet flowers in the trees. There was no need for Chain-Jee to be on the ground. When she was thirsty she would sip nectar from flowers.

At first, the birds were afraid of Chain-Jee. Snakes eat birds and bird eggs. It did not take the birds long to discover Chain-Jee had no interest in them and their eggs. They were not afraid of her after that.

One morning after a violent storm the night before, Chain-Jee saw a tiny bird egg on the ground. Chain-Jee guessed the egg had been blown out of a nest by the strong winds during the storm.

Chain-Jee wanted to save the egg but was afraid she might be caught by a mongoose. Mongooses love to eat eggs; all kinds of eggs.

Chain-Jee felt so sorry for the egg that for a few seconds she risked being caught and eaten by a mongoose.

She dashed down. She scooped up the egg and quickly climbed back up the tree.

All day she carried the egg around calling out aloud, "Whose egg is this? Hello, everybody! I found an egg on the ground. Has anyone lost an egg?"

Many birds came and looked at the egg and said "Uh-uh. Not mine. Sorry." When Chain-Jee asked them to take the egg to put it in their nests, they politely refused.

Chain-Jee built a nest to put the egg in. Snakes don't know how to build nests for bird-eggs. While she was struggling to build the nest the egg fell to the ground.

Chain-Jee was upset and sad. She was certain the egg would have broken when it struck the ground.

Imagine her surprise when she looked down from way up where she was trying to build the nest and saw the egg had not broken!

The situation on the ground had become dangerously unsafe for Chain-Jee because she spotted a few mongooses around that had been drawn there by all the commotion.

Nonetheless, without hesitation she dashed down to save the egg. Again she scooped up the egg and carried it back high up the tree.

When she stopped to rest, the egg changed into a snake that in seconds grew to be as large as Chain-Jee! It had two long arms with hands and fingers. It was wearing a backpack.

Chain-Jee was so surprised, she nearly lost her balance and fall off the tree. Chain-Jee asked the snake "So, the egg was the egg of a snake?"

"No," said the snake. It wasn't an egg at all. "I took that shape so that I could test you," said the snake. "Test me? Why? I didn't do anything wrong."

"That's true, Chain-Jee. You didn't do anything wrong. You have been doing so many good things that I decided to come and meet you."

"Who are you?"
 
"I come from another world. I'm not really a snake. See my fingers?" It wiggled its fingers at Chain-Jee. "I can take any shape I like. I thought since you are a snake I would come to you as a snake."

The magical snake took out a little green book and a red pen out of its backpack. It wrote something down on each of four pages.

"Because you have been such a kind snake, Chain-Jee, you may make three wishes. I have written on each of three pages a wish you must not ask because it is a dangerous wish. If you ask for any of these three dangerous wishes I will not grant them, and I will leave."

Chain-Jee asked "What about that fourth page? What did you write on that page?" "On the fourth page I have written the wish I will grant you in addition to your three wishes if none of your three wishes is on one of my three pages."

This was complicated. Chain-Jee thought for a few seconds in silence before speaking.

"You know what, magical snake, I am happy as I am. I have enough of what I need and I am happy enough with my life. All the birds are my friends. There are no snakes around to tease me. Lots of berries and flowers high up in these trees for me to eat. As long as I stay high up here I don't need to worry about the mongooses. When I want to drink water from the river the birds watch out to warn me if there are mongooses around.

Thank you for the three wishes, magical snake. However, I am glad to say I do not need any of them."

The magical snake said "I have been trying to grant wishes for thousands of years. Every time I have not been able to grant any wishes because at least one of these three dangerous wishes has been chosen. You, Chain-Jee, are the first one who has chosen to not make any wish at all. What is more miraculous is that this wish I have written down on page four is the wish for happiness which you say you have already."

Magical snake tossed her book and pen to the ground. They instantly turned into flowers that drifted away on the wind.

Magical snake had a mischievous smile on its face when it said to Chain-Jee. "I will grant you something that will make you happier than you are."

"Not possible," said Chain-Jee. "Oh yes," said magical snake. "From now on all mongooses will see you as a mongoose."

Having said that, magical, snake disappeared before Chain-Jee could say "Thank you. You are right. That will make me much happier."

Chain-Jee is living happily in the trees among the birds; and on the ground where she plays tag with rabbits and squirrels and porcupines and skunks and badgers, and, yes, even and especially with mongooses!
___________________________________


Imagine her surprise when she looked down from way up where she was trying to build the nest and saw the egg had not broken!

The situation on the ground had become dangerously unsafe for Chain-Jee because she spotted a few mongooses around that had been drawn there by all the commotion.

Nonetheless, without hesitation she dashed down to save the egg. Again she scooped up the egg and carried it back high up the tree.

When she stopped to rest, the egg changed into a snake that in seconds grew to be as large as Chain-Jee! It had two long arms with hands and fingers. It was wearing a backpack.

Chain-Jee was so surprised, she nearly lost her balance and fall off the tree. Chain-Jee asked the snake "So, the egg was the egg of a snake?"

"No," said the snake. It wasn't an egg at all. "I took that shape so that I could test you," said the snake. "Test me? Why? I didn't do anything wrong."

"That's true, Chain-Jee. You didn't do anything wrong. You have been doing so many good things that I decided to come and meet you."

"Who are you?"
"I come from another world. I'm not really a snake. See my fingers?" It wiggled its fingers at Chain-Jee. "I can take any shape I like. I thought since you are a snake I would come to you as a snake."

The magical snake took out a little green book and a red pen out of its backpack. It wrote something down on each of four pages.

"Because you have been such a kind snake, Chain-Jee, you may make three wishes. I have written on each of three pages a wish you must not ask because it is a dangerous wish. If you ask for any of these three dangerous wishes I will not grant them, and I will leave."

Chain-Jee asked "What about that fourth page? What did you write on that page?" "On the fourth page I have written the wish I will grant you in addition to your three wishes if none of your three wishes is on one of my three pages."

This was complicated. Chain-Jee thought for a few seconds in silence before speaking.

"You know what, magical snake, I am happy as I am. I have enough of what I need and I am happy enough with my life. All the birds are my friends. There are no snakes around to tease me. Lots of berries and flowers high up in these trees for me to eat. As long as I stay high up here I don't need to worry about the mongooses. When I want to drink water from the river the birds watch out to warn me if there are mongooses around.

Thank you for the three wishes, magical snake. However, I am glad to say I do not need any of them."

The magical snake said "I have been trying to grant wishes for thousands of years. Every time I have not been able to grant any wishes because at least one of these three dangerous wishes has been chosen. You, Chain-Jee, are the first one who has chosen to not make any wish at all. What is more miraculous is that this wish I have written down on page four is the wish for happiness which you say you have already."

Magical snake tossed her book and pen to the ground. They instantly turned into flowers that drifted away on the wind.

Magical snake had a mischievous smile on its face when it said to Chain-Jee. "I will grant you something that will make you happier than you are."

"Not possible," said Chain-Jee. "Oh yes," said magical snake. "From now on all mongooses will see you as a mongoose."

Having said that, magical, snake disappeared before Chain-Jee could say "Thank you. You are right. That will make me much happier."

Chain-Jee is living happily in the trees among the birds; and on the ground where she plays tag with rabbits and squirrels and porcupines and skunks and badgers, and, yes, even and especially with mongooses!