Once upon a time, there lived a man named Sok who knew how to cure venomous snake bites and poisons.

One day Sok went into the forest to collect firewood for cooking. Along the way, he found a big yellow tiger lying almost dead by the corner of the path near a tall dirt mount. Sok examined the dying tiger and found that he had been bitten by a venomous snake. Beneath where the tiger was lying, he also saw a snake hole that led to a snake pit.

Out of kindness, Sok took out his snake medicine and applied it onto the tiger's body. A few minutes later the tiger came back to life. Cured from the snake bite, the tiger opened his eyes and saw a man kneeling beside him. The tiger asked, "What are you doing to me, old man? Why am I covered with this stinky ointment?"

Sok got scared when he saw that the big tiger was angry and, shaking with fear, he explained, "Dear Sir, the serpent bit you. You were almost dead by the road when I put medication on you to save your life."

The tiger shook his head in disbelief and said, "I am big and powerful. How can a small serpent kill me? You are a liar, and for this I am going to kill you."

Sok was very afraid of losing his life and also stunned by the tiger's ungratefulness, so he begged for time and said, "Please give me some justice. Let us go find a sage who can clear this matter, and if the sage finds me guilty then you can go ahead and kill me."

The tiger agreed to the proposal and both walked into the village looking for a sage.

Soon they met Wise Cow and Wise Buffalo by the road. Sok told the story to Wise Cow and Wise Buffalo. Both of them thought, "The tiger is wrong and ungrateful but if we say the tiger is wrong, the tiger will be angry with us and will kill us some day. So we must say the man is wrong to protect ourselves from the tiger in the future."

Wise Cow and Wise Buffalo rendered their verdict in favor of the tiger and said the man disturbed the tiger's nap, so he should be killed by the tiger.

Sok disagreed with this verdict and begged the tiger for one more sage's decision.

The tiger said, "This will be your the last chance."

Further down the road they came upon Wise Rabbit who was willing to listen to Sok's story. Wise Rabbit listened and said, "I cannot render a verdict unless I see the spot where the crime took place. Can you take me there?"

The tiger agreed and both led the way to the dirt mount where the tiger had lain almost dead and where the snake pit was just below the dirt mount.

When they reached the spot, Wise Rabbit said, "Can you two recreate the crime scene for me?"

The tiger was eager to prove that he was right, so he hastily lay down at the same spot in the same position right next to the snake hole. Once again the snake came out and bit the tiger, this time ending the tiger's life and his ungratefulness.

Wise Rabbit then said to Sok, "Next time beware of who you save."

Sok thanked Wise Rabbit for his intelligence and for saving his life.

UNGRATEFULNESS IS THE WORST SIN OF ALL