COBRA'S PROMISE

I have told this story countless times during our PD sessions, particularly during the sessions on ‘Assertiveness’. What is so impressive about it is that, this story is ‘ageless’ in true sense. Not only, that it has been there as a folklore for hundreds of years, it also clicks with all the age-groups… the silver-haired, the young-eagles and, yes, the little angels.

Yesterday, I told this tale to the little angels. I could so effortlessly convey the message I wanted to: “Honey, we should learn to be ‘assertive’ in life. Else, what happened to this cobra will surely happen to us.”

Long time ago, in a village temple, there lived a Swami. The people from the village visited this temple daily to offer their prayers. On the way to this temple, there was a huge banyan tree, and under this tree, there lived a poisonous cobra.

One day, while the children were playing near the tree, a small child stamped on the cobra and was bitten by the cobra. The poison killed the child and a panic spread through the village quickly. “A poisonous snake kills people on the way to the temple,” everyone started spreading the news, and, soon, people from the village stopped venturing out of their houses… They also forbade their little children from going out to play, particularly near the banyan tree.

When the temple was deserted, the Swami was worried. He went out to fin out what had happened. When the villagers narrated to him the whole tragedy, he went near the temple to speak to the cobra. As he was gifted to talk to the snake, he said, “Why did you do that, my friend? Stop biting.”

The cobra, who had great respect to the Swami, immediately gave the promise, “I promise to you sir, that I will not do it again.”

So, the Swami went back to the people and told them about the promise the cobra had made. “Be fearless,” he urged them, “the snake will not do harm to anyone, anymore.”

This message passed through the village like a wild fire. “Hey, the Swami has made the cobra powerless,” they started telling each other.

Thus, the people of the village came out one by one to visit the temple, and the children went all around playing as usual. When they passed near the tree, they saw the cobra, coiled and docile. Looking at his meek state, people started teasing him; some abused him… spat on him; some bold children held him by his tail and dragged him all around…and some dare-devils tossed him in the air and cast him away and hard. Yet, the cobra would not react… It had given the promise to Swami and so, it chose to bear the abuse and pain, all lying there docile.

After some days, the Swami decided to check if Cobra had kept his promise. When he came near the tree, he was rudely shocked to see the bleeding-and-almost-dead cobra! “What have you done to yourself, my friend?” the Swami asked unable to believe his eyes.

“Sir, you had asked me not to bite,” the strength-less snake managed to reply to the Swami, “Now look, what they have done to me!”

“You fool, I did tell you not to ‘bite’,” the angry Swami blasted at the cobra, “but, did I ever tell you not to ‘hiss’?”

When we behave aggressively with people around us, we only respect our rights and feelings and don’t respect others’. We go about acting like those deadly-looking battle tanks… They are heartless; the gun keeps pointing at others and warns, “You better… You better.” Whoever comes its way is crushed mercilessly under the might of the aggression… 

“Do you want to be like these war-tanks?” I asked the little souls.

“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”

On the other hand, when we behave submissively with people around us, we only respect others’ rights and feelings and don’t respect ours. We go about acting like those door-mats… and we allow people to walk over us, leave us bruised and abused.

“Do you want to be like these door-mats?” I asked them, again.

“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”

“Verrry Good!” I applauded, “So my little angels, in life, it is not good to be aggressive and it is not good to be submissive… Instead, we should learn to be assertive... We should respect others’ rights and feelings as much as we respect our own. It does to us a lot good… Don’t you all agree, my sweet hearts?”

“YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!”

I will never be tired of telling this story, you see!

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Mehul Bhuva