THE FOOLISH SNAKES

There was a king in a small kingdom. He had a son who was very lean and used to keep ill health all the time. The king tried all the doctors in his kingdom, but the prince's condition showed no improvement. No one could identify, his disease. Actually, a strange species of snake had entered his stomach and started living there, feeding on the food eaten by the prince. No one was aware of this fact.

The dejected prince lost his patience and went away to a far off place and started living in a temple. He would daily pray  to god to cure him.

The temple in which the prince lived was in another kingdom. The king of that kingdom had two daughters. The elder one was smart whereas the younger one was humble. Every morning, when they went to see their father, the elder would praise the king. The younger daughter, never used to flatter anybody, would say nothing. The king liked the elder daughter more. At the same time, he started ignore his younger daughter who never praised him. One day, unable to restrain himself, he called his guards and said.

"Take away this ungrateful girl and marry her off to a humble person like her. When she feels the hardship of life, experiences the difficulties of outside world, she will realize how much comfort I gave her!"

"But father!" she said "I have never been ungrateful to you. What have I done to deserve such a punishment?" She pleaded.

But the king turned his back to her and ordered the soldiers to take her away. The soldiers brought her to the same temple in which the prince was staying. On seeing him, without his royal robes, but in humble clothing, they thought him to be an ordinary person. One of the soldiers approached him and said.

"Dear Sir, would you take this fair maiden as your wife?"

The prince looked at the beautiful princess. He could not believe his luck. He smiled and said "I will, if the lady so wishes!"

The princess was also attracted towards this young man. They were married at the temple on the same day. After the marriage, the soldiers left them and went back to the palace to report to the king.

The newly wed couple started to a new destination to start a life. On the way, the prince asked his wife to stop.

"What is the matter, my dear?" she asked with anguish in her voice.

"I am feeling very tired. I have a strange illness which is incurable. I am very weak and keep ill-health. Even now, I am feeling very tired. Please go and get me some water" said the prince.

As she left, the prince laid down near an anthill and immediately fell asleep, due to fatigue. When the prince slept, the snake from his stomach came out from his mouth to catch some fresh air. As it looked about, it saw another snake emerging from the anthill. At that very moment, the princess who was coming back with water for the prince, saw the two snakes and was puzzled. She hide behind a tree and watched them.

"Are you not ashamed of tormenting the prince like this?" asked the snake from the anthill.

"And are you not ashamed of dirtying the two pots of gold kept in your anthill?" shot back the snake from the prince's body.

"Oh! Don't act smart! I know how you can be destroyed. If one prepares a gruel of rice with mustard and cinnamon and feeds the prince, your end will be swift!" said the first snake.

"And I know that anybody can boil some oil or water and pour into your anthill to kill you!" said the other snake.

Disgusted with each other, they turned away. The snake from the prince's body went back into his stomach whereas the other snake went back into its anthill. The princess had overheard the entire conversation. She quickly prepared some rice gruel with mustard and cinnamon and fed the prince. Within a few days, the prince's health started improving. This indicated that the snake which had been inhabiting his stomach was finished for good. She then told the story of the two snakes to her husband. Both of them boiled some oil and poured it in the ant-hill. Once the other snake was also dead, they unearthed the two pots of gold and lead a prosperous life.

MORAL : NEVER DISCUSS SECRET MATTERS IN THE OPEN.