In a forest, an old man was gathering medicinal herbs with a young child.
Bent over, the old man carried an herb basket on his back and held the hand of a child about six or seven years old as they slowly made their way through the forest.
"Grandpa, how much longer do we have to gather herbs?" The child was a little tired and wanted to go home.
The old man looked up at the sky and saw that dawn was approaching. After a moment's thought, he smiled and said:
"A little longer. We'll go home at daybreak!"
Once day broke and the dew dried, the herbs' medicinal properties would not be as good.
"Okay!" The child brightened. A vivid little flower beside him immediately caught his attention.
His natural curiosity stirred, and he started toward the vivid little flower.
"Watch out!" the old man suddenly shouted when he saw this.
Something suddenly swallowed the little flower in front of the child, revealing a pair of sinister eyes.
It was an enormous venomous python. The vivid little flower had been its tongue, used to lure prey.
The old man immediately stepped forward to shield the child, raising his firewood cleaver and watching the venomous python warily.
The venomous python fixed its sinister eyes on the two pieces of prey before it and reared up to more than twice a person's height.
The child stared, dumbfounded, huddling in the old man's arms and trembling.
Cold sweat broke out on the old man's forehead. He had never seen such a huge snake either.
The enormous venomous python narrowed its eyes, its tail swaying slowly as it edged toward the two pieces of prey before it.
The old man brandished his firewood cleaver in a show of strength.
The venomous python slowly