8.  Tale of Python Spewing Venom


A long time ago, there lived a man who had recently married and decided to journey with his new wife to his parent's home. Along the road they had traveled, Python crawled out of the bushes, saw the couple's footprints and licked them. Python's venom was so powerful that the husband and wife died soon after arriving at their destination. The parents, brothers, sisters, all the relatives of that couple suffered intense sorrow at their death, and at the funeral they wepted and wailed uncontrollably in anguish.
      In order to brag about the potency of his venom, Python asked Crow, "Brother Crow! Why do I hear human voices making so much noise?" Crow responded, "They are just laughing and merry, Brother Python, because they use to think that your venom was so potent that just licking the imprint of their feet would cause them to die. But now, after having licked their footprint, they have instead not died. That is why they are laughing and merry, joyous in celebration." Hearing this made Python deeply dejected. "This venom of mine use to be so powerful that just licking a creature's footprint would cause it death. But if it is now no longer potent, why should I keep it. I should just spew it out and get rid of it all from my body." Thinking thusly, Python spewed the venom completely from his body, leaving not a single drop.
      A group of animals - snakes, fish, centipedes, scorpions, ants, wasps - came to the realization: "Python has spewed out all his venom, so let us crawl, swim, fly, whatever it takes to get that venom for ourselves." Some were able to get a lot, some a little. Still others were not able to get any at all due to arriving too late.
      Snakes that gathered the most of Python's venom were Watersnake, Groundsnake, Oilsnake, Fishsnake, Forestsnake, Prisonsnake, and Frog-eating Snake. This group of snakes was able to get more of Python's venom than anyone else, which is why nowadays their bite cannot kill humans or even make them sick, since it is said of Python's venom that having too much will make it harmless, as the venom will overshoot its intended victim.
      The group of snakes that gathered just enough of Python's venom included Cobra, Viper, Adder, Krait, and Seasnake. Because this group was able to get just the right amount of Python's venom, their venom is so powerful that when they bite, you can see death coming.
      Regarding the animals that arrived later - Catfish, Tigerfish, Scorpion, Centipede, Ant, Wasp, and Bee - they were still able to gather up the little venom that was left and spread it on the tip of their barbs and stingers, everyone one of them, which is why this group of animals has a little bit of venom to this very day.
      As for the Kramom Fish, he became very angry because he was not able to get any of Python's venom and threw a tantrum, yowling until his face became swollen. The Wallago Attu Catfish, seeing Kramom Fish making such a scene lamenting as he did, began laughing and laughing, unable to stop until the corners of his mouth tore open. These are the reasons why Kramom Fish has such a big swollen face and Wallago Attu Catfish has such a large long mouth to this very day.
      When Python spewed out all his venom he also lost his power, having succumbed to Crow's ruse. From that time onward, all humans had occasion to be happy and joyous that Python lost that most potent venom of his, no longer having occasion to fear harm from Python to this very day.

©2010 Khmer Buddhist Relief