The Scroll

16 - Snake

Nabal's mother had constantly pampered him, and he had developed a sense of entitlement that made it impossible for him to take advice or accept criticism. He argued with anyone and everyone who crossed his path, but up in the king's court, Kohelet had learned that although the wise listened carefully and always weighed out the proper time for action.

If a ruler directs his anger against you, do not run away; a calm response will quiet his bad temper. I have seen rulers make mistakes that resulted in great injustice. A fool was given a position of authority while a wise person was demoted. A servant rode on horseback while the prince walked behind.

Unfortunately, rulers were often just as arrogant as Nabal. They had great confidence in their ability to lead, but their overconfidence could bring a nation to ruin. It was the same in people's personal lives, for they often ignored good advice and plunged ahead with their plans despite the dangers that lay right in front of them. When they tried changing the earth they always exposed more thorns and thistles.

If you dig a well, you may fall into it. If you break down a wall, a snake might bite you. Moving stones can cause an injury, and splitting wood has its own risks. Sharpen your ax, and you won't have to work as hard, for working wisely brings success.

Nabal did not work wisely, and his encounter with the snakes was a case in point. At last year's Feast of Booths, a traveling snake charmer had arrived in the market and set up to perform on the platform near the well. It was a rare occurrence, and a crowd quickly gathered. The audience fell silent as the snake charmer lifted the lid from his basket and began to play his flute. The eerie music filled the market, but as Nabal pushed his way to the front, the spell was broken. People muttered and jostled to see around him.

"In my travels I have seen this done with two snakes in one basket!" Nabal said loudly to the person beside him. The charmer increased the volume of his tune, but Nabal's voice rose as he turned to those behind him. "And the snakes were huge. It took two men to carry the basket in."

The charmer stopped playing and snapped the lid back on his basket. He glared at Nabal and leaned back. His message was clear. He would not perform while Nabal was trying to take his audience away.

Someone at the back called out, "Nobody does this with two snakes, Nabal."

Nabal searched the crowd. "I saw it for myself during my trips to the East."

The old woman next to Nabal glared at him. "Well, I want to see it done with this one, so be quiet or leave."

Nabal's face went red. He opened his mouth to speak, but the old woman waved her cane in his face, "I said to shut your mouth or leave."

Nabal thrust his way back through the laughing crowd. He whirled around at the gate and shouted, "I'll prove it to you. You'll see I was right!" The crowd turned their attention back to the performance, and the haunting tune resumed.

For the next few months, Nabal kept talking about the snake charmer incident and trying to convince everyone of what he had seen on his trip and of how much he knew about snakes. His stories about snake charmers he had seen during his travels grew even larger, and he bragged about how they had taught him the deep secrets of the craft. He talked on and on until someone finally challenged him to buy a snake and give a demonstration.

Nabal stopped bragging, and everyone thought the incident was over until Nabal showed up one day with a large basket and a flute, announcing to all that he would demonstrate his skills. Kohelet had watched the scene unfold from his window.

Merchants closed up shop and ran over to the well where Nabal was in his glory, standing tall with a large basket held high overhead. "Come and see, everyone. Come and see the largest and most dangerous snake ever tamed by man!" He shook the basket as he stepped onto the platform.