一條住在村子附近的蛇爬到農夫年幼的兒子跟前，咬了他致命的一口。悲痛欲絕的農夫抓起一把斧子，守候在蛇的洞口，等蛇一出現，就把他消滅。要外出覓食的蛇剛探出腦袋，農夫就舉起斧子向他砍去。可惜農夫隻砍到了蛇的尾巴，沒有砍中腦袋。後來，農夫擔心蛇會找他報仇，就試圖與蛇和解。不料，蛇回答說： “我們之間是不可能和平相處的，因為我會想起我被你砍斷的尾巴，而你也不會忘記被我咬死的兒子。 ”
人們很難做到“一笑泯恩仇”。
A Snake，having made his hole close to the porch of a .icted a mortal bite oager’s infant s over his loss，the Father resolved to kill the S day，whe of its hole for food，he took up his axe，but by swinging too hastily，missed its head and ly the end of its tail. After some time the Cottager，afraid that the Snake would bite him also，eo make pead plae bread and salt ihe Sly hissing，said，“There ceforth be ween us；for whenever I see you I shall remember the loss of my tail，and whenever you see me you will be thinkih of your son.”
ruly fets ihe presen who caused the injury.