Chapter 2
The Quarrel Between The Snake And The Frog
In the evening on the edge of the forest, a quarrel arose between the snake and the frog in which the snake accused the frog of having an I don’t care attitude towards the snake’s family.
The Snake asked, “Frog, where were you when my eggs got burnt by the bush fire? When you saw the bush fire coming towards my eggs, why didn’t you push them into the tunnel for safety? What could have been the problem with you moving my eggs? If you say there was no tunnel then you should have pushed my eggs in the water, for sure they would have hatched into smaller Snakes today.”
The Frog replied, “Where did we sign an agreement of protecting each other’s eggs? Your eggs were just too many for me to push them in the tunnel or stream. From what happened to your eggs just learn not to be careless by not leaving them uncovered or hidden when you know quite well that there are a lot of enemies in this forest beside the bush fires.”
The Snake replied, “Frog, do you mean I am careless? Apologize Frog for using that word.”
The Frog, “Apologize for what? I am telling you the truth that you are careless, that’s why your eggs got burnt by the bush fire.”
The snake with a grimace on his face, “Mind your language you feeble animal of the Stream. Learn to choose your words carefully. I have been protecting you in this forest; does that mean I am stupid?”
The Frog, “Protecting who, you stupid animal without legs? If you are playing with me, I can cut you into pieces for your misleading statements. When I am looking for food in the forests do you go with me? I can eat you beginning with your long tail. ”
The Snake angrily, “Frog, whom can you cut into pieces? Can you manage to cut my tail into smaller pieces and eat it? Watch your mouth. You nobody. What you are saying is nonsense, just heed my words. You should have protected my eggs when I was not around. Is that understood?”
The Frog, “Snake, understand what? What you are saying is utterly useless in fact you have seen for yourself that when I lay my eggs I hide them in the water safe from wild fires and animals. Don’t shift blame on me. If you knew that you were going away, you should have left your eggs in the tunnel.”
The Snake replied, “Let me punish you, for your unkind words. When I catch you I will swallow you alive. Frog you are a very rude creature. I hope you will never forget the wonderful lesson I am going to teach you. From now on, learn to be responsible for other creature’s problems.”
The Frog, “Punish who? I categorically refuse any responsibilities from you and any other creatures living in this forest. Let me repeat my statement that I am not ready to be your security guard, you backward creature. ”
The Snake, “Frog, you have looked down upon me. Therefore, from now on you have become my enemy. Whenever I meet you there will be trouble.”
The Frog, “I don’t mind whatever you say. I will never be a slave to your family.”
Then the snake started chasing the frog. The frog started jumping as fast as he could and left the snake by two meters. And as the frog kept jumping he saw the mousetrap and went near it. And then went the other side of the mousetrap and hid in the grass.
When the snake came to the mousetrap, he decided to pass in the middle while boasting, “Who has blocked my path without asking permission from me, the great snake? Let me rest for a while as I look for the footprints of the frog. ”
Then the snake pulled the mousetrap on one side accidentally and the mousetrap fell on the body of the snake with a loud bang.
The Snake surprised, “What is this? Could this be a snake trap for me? Oh! I am still alive despite passing through the trap, but I must wait and see who did this. I won’t waste time to strike him if it is a human being because they should give respect to other creatures living in the forest; in fact this is exactly what I was telling the frog to be responsible for my family as well. Now by setting traps like this one, does this mean that human beings no longer care for other creatures? What would have happened if this trap had injured me severely on my head, definitely my snake family would have suffered greatly especially the young ones. Let me wait a bit as I can hear footsteps of a human being coming towards this place. What was he doing during the day? This is now time for wild creatures to play and find food to eat.”
When the farmer heard the sound of the bang he said, “Listen my wife, today the mouse which has been eating my groundnuts has been caught in the trap and I am so glad, the mouse is dead now. Let me go and remove the mouse from the trap. This mouse has really been troubling me for a long time.”
The Wife replied, “My husband, I think it’s dark outside, just go tomorrow when its daylight and see whether it’s the mouse in the trap or not. There are a lot of things crawling on the ground beside mice.”
The Farmer, “My dear wife, I am extremely excited over the death of this mouse. For sure it is the mouse which has set off the trap and not something else. I have been having sleepless nights imagining how to catch the mouse. This mouse had been eating groundnuts in my barns.”
The Wife, “But how will you see the mouse in the trap since we don’t have a torch?”
The Farmer, “Don’t worry my dear wife, I will simply use my initiative by lighting the grass to see the mouse in the trap and how big it is.”
The Wife, “I don’t agree with your initiative, you do that at your own risk.”
The Farmer in his heart, “I don’t know why women fear the unknown, I am glad to be a man making bold decisions.”
Since the Farmer knew the place very well so he lit a stack of grass to give him light and started going where he had left the mousetrap. Unfortunately as soon as he reached the mousetrap he hit his foot on a rock and the light went off as he fell on the trap. His hands touched the snake in the mousetrap.
Then the snake raised its head and struck the farmer twice, biting him on his forehead. The farmer shouted for help, “Oh my wife, my wife, I have been bitten by a snake. How I wish I had listened to your advice! Who knows the medicine for a snake bite? I don’t think I will survive this snake bite.
Goodbye my wife.”
The wife started crying as she stood at the entrance of their small house, “I told you my husband not to go outside because it was too dark but you refused. If you had listened to my advice you wouldn’t be dying now. Anyway I will miss you my lovely husband. For forty years we have been together.”
Then that very night a message was circulated around the whole village that the farmer for Malala village had died after being bitten by a snake caught in his mousetrap on his farm.