Once upon a time, there was a family living in the State of Ch’u. One day the family left a pot of wine to people who helped them after honoring their ancestors.
However, among them who would be the first one for drinking. Someone suggested: “Each of us will draw a snake on the ground. The winner must be the one who draws the vivid snake quickly.”
It was a good idea for everyone. A man finished drawing a snake instantly. He believed that he must be the winner to drink. What a happy mood he had in. He wanted to show off his skills, saying: “How slow you guys are! let me add a few snake feet.”
The man held the wine pot in his left hand and began to add the feet of the snake. At the same time, however, someone else finished drawing a snake too. He grabbed the wine pot away from the first man and said to him: “ What are you doing? Everyone knows that snakes have no feet. I’m the number one, not you.”
Then he began to drink the wine with ease.
This idiom warns people not to get arrogant and complacent after a small success. Showing off will only backfire and make them lose their initial advantage.
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