Two heads is a crowd

The tiger looked confused. Beneath its clawless paw, there was a snake. A two headed snake.

I mean you no harm. Both heads pleaded. I came here because of the warmth of the fire. The river bed is too cold.

Akapat, was dumbfounded. Does such things really exist, he asked the tiger?

Well, the snake said, with his both heads speaking in unison. If a speaking tiger can exist, so can a two headed snake.

Not really, the tiger said, taking his paw off from the snake. A talking tiger is a matter of understanding. It means that the boy and me and you can communicate irrespective of the languages we speak. But a two headed snake is disruptive biology.

Are there more of your kind? Akapat asked.

None that I know of, the snake heads spoke in unison again.

How would it be if one of you speaks at a time. The tiger directed sternly.

Well we can, they said together.

Let me make it more simple. The tiger said, tapping the snake with his paws. Once you speak, he tapped one head, the other time you do. He tapped the other.

That sounds nice, both spoke together again.

Let’s practice, the tiger said, keeping his paw on one of the heads. You speak.

Both heads responded and the tiger applied weight on one shutting one mouth. Let him speak he said. Then he repeated the process with the other head.

Is in not confusing to have two heads? Akapat questioned curiously.

It is , both spoke in unison.

It is not confusing, it is chaos. The tiger said keeping its paw over one of the heads.

How do you decide where to go? Akapat asked.

We can’t . The other head spoke. We both pull in our own directions, and we move in the direction none of us wants to go.

So how did you reach here. The tiger gently removed his paw form one head and kept it on the other.

For a change, both of us wanted to get warm, the other head spoke, so we reached here in double quick time and got ambushed by you.

Are you both hungry at the same time ? Akapat asked.

Not always, the other head replied as the tiger removed his paw. But we can only eat when one of us is hungry. If we get hungry together we will not be able to hunt and both of us will pull in our direction.

Somehow, the other head squeaked beneath the paw, and the tiger let him speak, we tend to agree on this part at least. We hunt together when one of us is hungry. It makes things easier.

See, I told you, the tiger said, removing his paw completely, hunger can alter the character.

A snake has many things to take care of, one of the head spoke. We need to shed our skin and we need to hibernate. We need to soak the sun and we have to save ourselves from other predators. Anything can change character.

But with two heads, the other head spoke, it becomes very difficult. There is always a conflict brewing amongst us, there is always a distrust, even when we know that our survival is interdependent on each other.

I can understand that. It is so hard to exist in contradiction between the heat and the head . The tiger said with empathy.

But we have a triangle between us. One of the head spoke. We are two heads and one heart.

The voices in our head are so loud that we have even forgotten that we have a heart, the other head spoke. I must thank you for reminding us the same.

So how can we of some use to you, Akapat asked the snake.

We are so thankful to you for keeping us warm. One head replied.

And if it is possible, the other head spoke, we would be more grateful if we can travel along with you. We want to get out of this gloom and reach someplace where sunshine is a reality.

You would hardly be able to match us, the tiger spoke. And that too if you are able to decide which direction to take.

You can feed us something, one head replied.

Then we can sleep inside your bag, the other head said while looking at Akapat.

Why would I do it? Akapat asked the snake.

Because, both heads spoke in unison again, no one else can. We have heard that, one of the head spoke, only a man can trust a snake. And, the other head said, it’s only a man a snake can trust.

But, I never heard that , the tiger replied gleefully.

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