A young boy discovered that he could understand the language of birds. When sparrows chattered on the rooftops, he heard gossip. When ravens called from the treetops, he heard warnings. When the eagle screamed overhead, he heard prophecy.
At first, no one believed him. His parents thought it was a child's fantasy. But the boy proved his gift by predicting events that the birds had spoken of—a coming rainstorm, the arrival of a caravan from the east, the illness of a neighbor's cow. Each time, the birds had told him first.
Word of the boy's ability spread, and powerful men came to consult him. A merchant asked what the birds said about his upcoming voyage. The boy listened to a pair of doves on the windowsill and said, "They warn of a storm at sea. Delay your departure by three days." The merchant obeyed and survived a tempest that sank every other ship in the harbor.
A king heard of the youth and summoned him to court. "Tell me," the king demanded, "what do the birds say about my reign?" The boy hesitated. He had heard the crows that morning, and their message was grim. But he spoke the truth: "The birds say your throne will pass to another within the year."
The king was furious and ordered the boy imprisoned. But within the year, the king fell ill and died, exactly as the birds had foretold. The new ruler, having heard the prophecy, released the boy and appointed him as an advisor.
This folk tale, preserved in multiple manuscript traditions including the Codex Oxford (No. 58), belongs to a widespread tradition of youths who understand animal speech. In Jewish tradition, King Solomon himself was said to understand the language of birds and beasts, and this unnamed youth was seen as heir to that ancient gift.