The serpent's tail, tired of always being in the back and merely following, began to complain and demand the right to lead the way. The head argued that the tail had no eyes, mouth, or nose, making it incapable of guiding the body. However, the tail insisted so much that, out of compassion and to prove a point, the head yielded control.
With the tail guiding blindly, the serpent began hitting trees, dragging itself over thorns, crashing into rocks, and, finally, it fell off a cliff, severely injuring its entire body. The tail, feeling the pain of the fall and realizing its mistake, begged the head to take back the lead.
The Moral and Meaning
Hierarchy and Roles: The parable teaches that every part has its function. When vanity causes the lower parts (the tail) to want to take over the function of the upper parts (the head), the result is chaos and destruction.
The Ego and Illusion: From a Buddhist perspective, the "tail" symbolizes the ego. When the ego tries to guide life based solely on its own desire for prominence (rather than the wisdom and discernment of the "head"), human beings attract suffering (dukkha) to themselves and everyone around them.