In the beautiful forests of Arunachal Pradesh, the Wancho tribe tells a captivating story about two powerful snakes—a python and a cobra. This tale teaches us about strength, pride, and the importance of knowing our own abilities.
One day, the python and the cobra were arguing about who was stronger. To settle the debate, they decided to bite two humans and see what happened. The cobra struck first, and its venom was deadly. The man it bit fell to the ground and died just a few steps away. The python’s victim, however, managed to go home after being bitten and lived for several days. It seemed like the cobra had won, but the python believed its bite would still prove itself.
|A Wancho Tribe Folktale from Arunachal Pradesh
As days passed, the python grew worried because it hadn’t heard any news about the man it had bitten. One day, the python met a traveler and asked, "Hello! Can you tell me if the man I bit is still alive?"
The traveler, knowing the truth, replied with a grin, "Oh, that man? He is very much alive! Just this morning, I saw him sharpening his machete, getting ready for a hunt."
Hearing this made the python feel defeated. Unable to handle the thought of losing to the cobra, it began to spit out its venom in frustration. The venom fell onto the ground and landed on plants called Samnu, Samchong, and Tukhoak. The broad leaves of the Samnu plant have tiny stings that can cause pain for months if not noticed. The leaves of Samchong and Tukhoak can cause immediate swelling and painful itching.
Additionally, a tiny red ant named Sakhi also consumed the python's venom, causing even more itching and swelling for anyone who got too close.
In time, the python learned a valuable lesson. Instead of biting its prey directly, it began to use its strength in a different way. It would hypnotize its victims and slowly squeeze them with its powerful body before swallowing them whole.
The moral of this story is clear: If you don’t recognize your own strengths, you may always depend on what others say. True power comes from knowing yourself.
And so, the tale of the python and the cobra is shared among the Wancho tribe, reminding everyone of the importance of self-awareness and understanding one’s own strength.
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