A snake suffered a great deal from being constantly trodden upon by humans and beasts. This was partly due to the length of his body and partly because he could not raise himself above the ground. So, he went to complain to Jupiter about the dangers he faced.
Jupiter, however, had little sympathy for him. "I dare say," Jupiter remarked, "if you had bitten the first one who stepped on you, the others would have taken more care about where they placed their feet."