Fear is Most Dangerous
Shibu was a cobbler. He lived in a small hut made of grass. He was very poor.
He used to wake up early in the morning and go to the village market. He earned his living by repairing shoes and slippers of the villagers the whole day. But he got very little money for his work. One evening, he came home very tired. Winds were blowing hard. Clouds had covered the sky. There were flashes of lighting every minute. A heavy rain was expected.
When Shibu entered the hose, his wife asked him to tighten the roof – grass. She said that if he did not tighten the grass, it may tear up due to the fierce wind blowing at such a high speed.
It had become dark due to black clouds all around. Shibu was so tired that he did not want to do anything, but since it was very important to tighten the grass he decided to go and mend it.
It had started raining. He went out quietly and tightened the roof- grass with a rope which was lying on the roof. During this process, he suddenly felt a sharp pricking pain in his finger but he did not bother about it.
In the night whole family slept comfortably. Although there was heavy rain outside, they slept undisturbed in the hut.
Next morning, by the time Shibu woke up, the sun had risen high. His son Annu was ready to go to school. Annu went out of the hut but came back shouting in excitement – “Mother, mother, see there is a large snake on our hut roof.”
His mother was busy in the kitchen. She said “Annu, don’t waste your time. Go to school.” Then she asked Shibu to go and check if there really was a snake.
Shibu got alarmed. He suddenly jumped from his bed and came out quickly. He was dumbfounded to realize that he, instead of using a rope for tying the grass, had used a snake.
Now he began trying to recall the previous evening’s incident. He immediately checked his finger in which he had felt the prick last evening. It had become slightly bluish and also there was a little swelling at the tip of the finger. He had ignored it thinking that some nail or thorn may have pricked. He remembered that the pain also didn’t last long. He had had a comfortable sleep.
But now he realized that things were altogether different. It was not just an ordinary prick; it was a snake bite. He thought that by now the venom of the snake must have spread all over his body. This snake must have spread all over his body. This feeling gave him such a profound shock that he began rolling on the ground, frothing at the mouth.
He was taken to the hospital in a serious condition. The doctor admitted him and started his treatment. After one week he could recover and come back home.
Only few snakes are poisonous, but the fear of a snake’s bite may kill a person.
