It was a small village. There was a dangerous cobra living in a bush near a street. All the villagers were scared of the snake, as it had bitten a few people already. They approached a saint who was living just outside the village. He promised to help them. He with his powers talked with the snake and asked it why it has killed so many people.
It told they all stamped on it and out of fear, it bit them. He asked it not to bite any one thereafter. It promised the saint that it would not bite any one thereafter .After a few days people started to understand that the cobra was no more a terror .It was so calm and quiet that the small boys started to play with it cruelly. They used to throw stones on the snake. Sometimes they even caught its tail and even tortured it.
The cobra’s life became miserable. One day when the saint happened to pass that side noticed some people stoning and torturing the pitiable cobra. They had nearly killed it when he went there. He saved it from the merciless people and asked all to go away from the place. He then asked it why it did not do anything to save itself.
It told it wanted to bite all the people who harmed it but did not do so as it wanted to keep the promise to the saint. The saint told, “you stupid cobra, I told you not to bite, but you could have panicked them with your strike”.
Then the next day it appeared fury and all ran away from it.
Moral: Some times, you need to appear tough.