Folktales from India: How the Cobra Became Poisonous

“There was a time, many years ago, when only one kind of snake was poisonous. It was called the Asariya. The other snakes had no poison. All snakes lived on the bowels of the earth, where there were no humans.

One day the king of snakes asked Asariya to go see how men and women lived, and to see if the snakes would live a better life if they lived on the surface. As Asariya had poison, he could defend himself against any enemies he met. Asariya did as he was requested, and slithered up to the surface of the earth.

The first human he saw was a young shepherd playing hi flute. As Asariya had never seen a human before, he was frightened. In his fright, and before the enemy could attack, he bit the shepherd. The shepherd fell down dead, still holding the flute in his lips.

But asariya did not realize he was dead. A gentle wind blew through the flute, and the flute seemed to play a melody. The music enchanted Asariya.

He was filled with remorse for trying to hurt the shepherd, and that the poison had not worked. But then it struck him that the poison might work later. He did not want that to happen anymore so he quickly sucked out the venom he had poured into the boy´s body. The shepherd came to life again and went on playing his flute as if nothing had happened.

When Asariya returned to the bowels of the earth, he related his experiences. He described how beautiful the surface of the earth was, and among other things he described the beauty of the music of the flute. This reminded him of the shepherd. ‘What is the use of this poison you have given me, king of snakes? I bit the shepherd, but he didn´t die and went on playing his flute. Later, he got up and walked away, as if nothing had happened.’

‘Well, ‘ said the king, ‘no use lugging around something that you can´t use. Do any of you other snakes want some of the poison?’

Some of them did, especially the cobra. Asariya spat out the venom he was carrying, and the snakes who wanted some imbibed it, the cobra most of all. Then all the snakes left for the world of humans, and have lived there ever since.”