The Snake in the Anthill and the Snake in the Belly
A prince wastes away with a serpent living inside him. His wife, standing behind a tree, overhears two snakes giving away each other's secrets.
In a certain city there was a king named Devashakti. In his son's belly lived a serpent, and the prince wasted away day by day. Many remedies, medicines and physicians were tried; none gave him health.
In despair the prince left the country, and in some city lived in a temple, keeping himself by begging.
In that city was a king named Bali who had two daughters of marriageable age. Every day at sunrise they bowed at their father's feet. One would say: "Victory to the great king, by whose favour all happiness is had." The other would say: "Great king — may you get what you deserve."
Angered by the second daughter's words, the king said to his minister: "Give this ill-spoken girl to some foreigner, so that she may enjoy what she deserves." The minister gave her to that wasted prince. She, taking him for her husband and honouring him like a god, went off with him contentedly to another country.
Outside some distant city they camped on the bank of a lake. Leaving her husband there, she went into the town with her attendants to buy rice and oil.
When she came back she saw her husband asleep with his head resting on an anthill — and out of his mouth, hood raised, the serpent from his belly had come out to take the air. And the other snake, the one living in that anthill, had come out and was doing the same.
Each saw the other, and both filled with anger. The anthill snake said: "You wicked thing! How can you defile the body of this handsome prince?" The belly snake said: "You wretch! And how can you defile this anthill, with its two pots of gold in it?"
So each gave away the other's secret. Then the anthill snake said: "Do you not know that hot mustard gruel poured into you would destroy you?" And the belly snake said: "And do you not know that hot water poured over you would destroy you?"
Standing behind a tree, the princess heard the whole exchange. She did exactly as she had learned — gave her husband hot mustard gruel and killed the serpent in his belly, and poured hot water on the anthill and took both pots of gold.
Her husband became whole and handsome; and honoured by their families, the two lived happily with that treasure.
परस्परस्य मर्माणि ये न रक्षन्ति जन्तवः । त एव निधनं यान्ति वल्मीकोदरसर्पवत् ॥
Moral: Creatures who will not guard each other's secrets go to destruction, like the snake in the anthill and the snake in the belly.
From the Panchatantra, Book III — Of Crows and Owls.
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