A Story Of A Sad Snake

A certain wise woman was walking into the outskirts of a village one evening. As she entered the village, she saw a snake biting the villagers. The snake bit everyone who came within range, and, frequently, for no apparent reason, chased the villagers. The wise woman told the snake she felt the snake should stop biting the villagers and making their lives difficult. The snake agreed. A few months later, the wise woman passed through the village again and saw the once beautiful sleek snake covered with mud and lying in a ditch on the side of the road. The snake told the wise woman he was doing what she had suggested. He had stopped biting the villagers. The wise woman looked at the snake and said, "Yes, but I didn't tell you not to hiss."
The Point of This Story: Walk softly but carry a big stick.