蛇的智慧

很久很久以前，蛇和青蛙是朋友，不过蛇那时长有四条腿，青蛙却没有腿，靠肚子蠕动爬行，可是蛇好吃懒做，青蛙十分勤快它不但要捉虫给蛇吃，还帮助人们捕害虫。

Once upon a time, the snake and the frog were friends. However, at that time, the snake had four legs, while the frog had none and crawled on its belly. The snake was lazy and gluttonous, while the frog was diligent; it not only caught insects for the snake to eat but also helped people catch pests.

因此人类当然厌恶蛇，喜欢青蛙了。

As a result, humans naturally detested the snake and favored the frog.

蛇发现人们讨厌他，他开始仇视人，它见人就咬，见畜就吃，弄得人间很不安宁。

Upon discovering that people disliked him, the snake began to harbor hatred towards humans; it would bite anyone it saw and eat livestock, causing unrest among people.

土地神见状，告到了天宫。玉帝将蛇传上天宫，劝他改恶从善，蛇却口出狂言，决无悔改之意。

The land god saw this and reported it to the heavenly palace. The Jade Emperor summoned the snake to the heavenly palace and advised it to turn over a new leaf, but the snake brazenly declared its refusal to repent.

玉帝大怒，令神兵砍去蛇的四条腿，免得害人，从此，蛇就失去了四条腿，玉帝又见青蛙有功于人，将蛇的四条腿赐给青蛙。

Enraged, the Jade Emperor ordered the divine soldiers to chop off the snake's four legs to prevent it from harming others. From then on, the snake lost its four legs, and seeing the frog's contributions to humanity, the Jade Emperor granted the snake's four legs to the frog.

青蛙有了腿之后，更为勤快了。

After acquiring legs, the frog became even more diligent.

蛇知错改过，决心重新改造自己，也开始吃害虫并拖着长长的躯体，一声不响地为人类做好事，蛇还跟着龙学治水。

Realizing its mistakes, the snake resolved to transform itself and also began to eat pests, quietly dragging its long body to do good for humans. The snake even learned from the dragon how to control water.

蛇死后，也将自己的躯体献给人类，作为药物救治了许多病人。

After its death, the snake sacrificed its own body to humans, using it as medicine to save many patients.

玉帝见蛇知过能改，奋发向上，在策封十二生肖时，让它排在龙的后面，当上了人类的生肖。

Seeing that the snake had recognized its faults and was striving to better itself, the Jade Emperor appointed it to be ranked behind the dragon when designating the twelve zodiac animals, thus making it a part of the human zodiac.

蛇当上生肖以后，当然不主动伤人了，一旦恶念萌发，便将恶念化成一层皮蜕下，以示重新作人。

Once the snake became part of the zodiac, it certainly did not take the initiative to harm others anymore. If any malicious thoughts arose, it would shed a layer of its skin to signify its intention to be a better entity.

尽管如此，它还是对青蛙拥有它的四条腿怀恨在心，因此，直到今天，蛇还是见青蛙就咬。青蛙自知占了蛇的便宜，于是见了蛇就会吓得发抖，急急忙忙地躲开。

Despite this, it still held resentment towards the frog for having its four legs, which is why, even today, the snake will bite a frog whenever it sees one. The frog, knowing it has taken advantage of the snake, will tremble in fear and hurriedly flee when it encounters a snake.

上午9——11时（即“巳时”），据说这时候的蛇不会伤人，也不在人行走的路上游荡，多隐藏在草丛中，这样时就属于蛇的了。

Between 9 and 11 a.m. (known as the "Si" time), it is said that during this period, snakes do not harm people and do not wander on paths where humans walk; they prefer to hide in the grass, making this time their own.