She went down into the garden and strewed with her own hands ten sacks-full of millet-seed on the grass; then she said, "To-morrow morning before sunrise these must be picked up, and not a single grain be wanting." The youth sat down in the garden and considered how it might be possible to perform this task, but he could think of nothing, and there he sat sorrowfully awaiting the break of day, when he should be led to death. But as soon as the first rays of the sun shone into the garden he saw all the ten sacks standing side by side, quite full, and not a single grain was missing. The ant-king had come in the night with thousands and thousands of ants, and the grateful creatures had by great industry picked up all the millet-seed and gathered them into the sacks. Presently the King's daughter herself came down into the garden, and was amazed to see that the young man had done the task she had given him.

她走到花园里，亲手撒了十袋小米在草地上，并且说："明天日出之前，你必须把这些全部捡起来，一粒也不能少！"
年轻人坐在花园里，盘算着怎样才能完成这项任务。 可是他什么办法也没有想出来，只好难过地坐在那里，等待着天亮被人带去处死。 谁知当第一缕阳光照进花园时，他却看到那十袋小米已经装得满满的排在他的身旁，而且一粒也不少。原来，那只蚁王晚上带着成千上万的蚂蚁来过了。这些知恩报恩的小动物不辞辛劳地捡起所有的小米，装进了袋子。
不一会儿，公主亲自来到了花园，看到年轻人已经完成了交给他的任务，她不由得感到万分惊讶。