Once a merchant set out to a distant place to trade in gems and money. He was accompanied by a group of servants. Together they had devised a plan to steal the merchant’s wealth and valuables. If they couldn’t manage that by some method, they were not averse to killing him either. This was their plan. But the merchant, unaware of all this, took them along on his journey.
Their path led through a forest. After traveling a long distance everyone was exhausted. They decided to rest for a while. The merchant lay down under a tree. Before long he fell asleep. The servants then planned to rob him while he was sleeping. Their idea was to shout ”snake, snake!” loudly, causing the merchant to wake up in fear and flee, leaving behind his money. That way they could steal it and escape.
However although the merchant woke up, he did not panic or abandon his moneybag. The servants tried many other tricks to scare him and steal the money. But nothing worked.
Then one of the servants asked him, “Why aren’t you afraid? Not even of a snake or a lion?”
The merchant replied:
“We all know that snakes and lions are dangerous. So we can take some precautions to protect ourselves from them. That is why I don’t fear such creatures. But what I truly fear are the kind of humans who live sweetly on the outside while hiding poison inside. Because you never know when they will strike.”
What the merchant said holds deep truth. Many around us are like that-people we believe to be trustworthy, who behave affectionately. But we don’t know what lies within them. We don’t know if they will put us in danger when a favorable opportunity arises.
It is wise and sensible to stay away from those who show their venom outwardly-they are less likely to truly harm us. But those who appear sweet outwardly and carry poison inside are the ones who can harm us when circumstances allow. Hidden malice is far more frightening than open cruelty. We can love and trust people-but if we recognize those who hide their poison, we should not hesitate to run away from them.
Regards
Prof Antoney P Joseph
Managing Director
