The Fowler and The Viper
Aesop | Greece
A Fowler chasing a bird stepped on a Viper, unaware of the danger beneath, ultimately falling into his own trap.
Once upon a time, there was a Fowler. One sunny morning, he picked up his sticky paste and slender sticks, ready to catch some birds. He saw a little bird, a thrush, sitting high on a tree. He wanted to catch it, so he carefully shaped his sticks to the right length and watched it closely. He was so focused on the thrush in the tree that he didn't watch where he was stepping.
Without even knowing it, he stepped on a sleeping Viper. The Viper woke up, surprised and upset. To protect itself, it quickly bit the Fowler's foot. The man tumbled over, feeling dizzy and faint. As he lay on the ground, he thought to himself, "Oh no! I was so busy trying to catch a bird, I didn't see the danger right under my feet."
And so, it turned out that in his attempt to trap a bird, the Fowler had unknowingly walked into a trap himself.
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