The Fowler and the Viper

A fowler, armed with his bird-lime and twigs, set out on a mission to catch birds. As he scanned the trees, he spotted a thrush perched on a branch, and he was eager to capture it. Adjusting his twigs to the right length, he focused intently on the sky, his thoughts consumed by the hunt.

In his concentration, he failed to notice a viper lying asleep just at his feet. As he stepped unknowingly onto the snake, it suddenly awoke and struck him with its venomous bite. As he fell into a swoon, the man lamented to himself, "Woe is me! While I intended to hunt another, I have unwittingly fallen into the very snares of death."