The Bad Snake 🐍

Hi, it's Bridgeen back again with another Corona Jackanory from the wonderful Ajahn Brahm. Tonight's story is about an animal. Some of the most interesting stories are about an animal, but tonight's is about a bad animal— the Bad Snake. A bad snake lived in a forest outside a village. He was vicious, malicious, and mean. He would bite people just for fun— his fun, that is. When the Bad Snake became advanced in snake years, he began to wonder what happens to snakes when they die. All his hissing life he had spat scorn on religious and those snakes that, in his opinion, were gullible and susceptible to such nonsense. Now he was interested. Not far from the snake's hole On top of a hill lived a Holy Snake. All holy people live on the summit of a hill or a mountain, even Holy Snakes. It's the tradition. One never hears of a holy man living in a swamp. One day, the Bad Snake decided to visit the Holy Snake. He put on a raincoat, dark glasses, and a hat so his friends wouldn't recognise him. Then he slithered up the hill to the monastery of the Holy Snake. He arrived during the middle of a sermon. The Holy Snake was sitting on a rock with hundreds of snakes listening with rapt attention. Bad Snake slithered to the edge of the throng, close to an exit, and began to listen. The more he listened, the more sense it made. He started to become convinced, then inspired, And then, finally, converted. After the sermon, he went up to the Holy Snake, tearfully confessed the many sins of his life, and promised from now on he'd be a totally different snake. He vowed in front of Holy Snake never to bite a human again. He was going to be kind. He was going to be caring. He was going to teach other snakes How to be good. He even left a donation in the box on the way out, when everyone was looking, of course. Although snakes can talk to snakes, it all sounds like one and the same hiss to human beings. Bad Snake, or formerly Bad Snake, was unable to tell the people that he was now a pacifist. Villagers would still avoid him, Even though they began to wonder about the Amnesty International badge he wore so prominently on his chest. Then one day, a villager, distracted by a song on his iPod, danced right past Bad Snake, and Bad Snake didn't strike. He just smiled religiously. From that time on, the villagers realized that Bad Snake was no longer dangerous. They would walk right past him and he sat cross-coiled in meditation outside his hole. Then some naughty boys from the village came to tease him. Hey, you slimy creep! they jeered from a safe distance. Show us your fangs, if you've got any, you oversized worm! You're a wimp, a cream puff, a disgrace to your species! He didn't like being called a slimy creep. Even though there was some truth in the description, or an oversized worm. But how could he defend himself? He had vowed not to bite. Seeing that the snake was now passive, the boys grew bolder and threw stones and clods of earth. They laughed when a stone hit. The snake knew that he was fast enough to bite any one of those boys before you could finish saying, World Wildlife Fund. But his vow prevented him. So the boys came closer and started hitting him over the head with sticks— over the back with sticks. The snake took the painful beating, but he realised in the real world you had to be mean to protect yourself. Religion was nonsense after all. So he slithered painfully up the hill to see that fake of a snake. and be released from his bow. Holy Snake saw him coming, all battered and bruised, and asked, what happened to you? It's all your fault! the Bad Snake complained bitterly. What do you mean it's all my fault? protested the Holy Snake. You told me not to bite. Now look what's happened to me. Religion might work in a monastery, but in the real world— Oh, you stupid snake! Holy Snake interrupted. Oh, you foolish snake! Oh, you idiot snake! It's true that I told you not to bite, but I never told you not to hiss, did I? Sometimes in life, even saints have to hiss to be kind, but no one needs to bite. So there you go. Sometimes I might do a wee bit of hissing. Sometimes we need to do a bit of hissing. We need to set our boundaries. We need to keep ourselves safe. So, um, whatever you're doing out there, be kind to each other, um, but don't let yourself get bitten by a snake.