In a dense forest, a king found himself lost and parched, desperately searching for water. As his throat grew dry, he stumbled upon a tree from which small drops of water were falling. Eager to quench his thirst, the king gathered leaves to fashion a makeshift bowl and began collecting the precious droplets.
It took considerable time, but the king eventually filled the bowl. Just as he was about to drink, a parrot swooped down and knocked the bowl from his hands. Frustrated by the loss, the king took a deep breath, composed himself, and set about refilling the bowl.
Once again, as the king poised to drink, the persistent parrot thwarted his efforts. This time, anger welled up within the king, and in a fit of rage, he unsheathed his sword and struck down the parrot. With the bird no longer in the picture, the king turned his attention to the tree branch as a potential water source.
However, upon closer inspection, the king discovered a sleeping python on the branch. The creature's saliva had mingled with the water, rendering it poisonous. The king realized the grave error he had committed in a fit of anger. The parrot, by preventing him from drinking the poisoned water, had inadvertently saved his life.
Regret filled the king's heart as he reflected on the consequences of his anger. In his fury, he had eliminated the very source of guidance that protected him from harm. The lesson was clear – anger, like a poisonous elixir, not only harms others but inflicts wounds upon oneself.
The story serves as a poignant reminder of the destructive nature of anger and its potential to cause irreversible harm. It encourages the practice of self-control, emphasizing that in moments of anger, one may end up destroying what was meant to be a safeguard against unseen dangers.