The cobra stretched its golden hood open and stared at Rania. One eye was blue, and the other green. A rare cobra, indeed. More than that—it was the cobra’s smile that puzzled Rania. The cobra flicked its tongue out, smelling her. Humans look alike to a cobra, but every creature has its own scent. That was how this cobra recognized Rania.

​

The cobra began weaving back and forth in front of Rania. Rania’s hands matched the cobra’s ballet. They danced like this at the end of each day. The air began to cool as dusk fell. The distant snow-capped Himalayan mountains shimmered golden bronze with the setting sun. The cobra closed its hood, leaned forward, and bumped Rania’s forehead playfully. Then it slipped away to its nearby den.

​

Rania leaned against the banyan tree and sighed. She missed playing soccer with her classmates during the summer. But this was her father’s busiest time of the year. She was proud to help with the farming. Her days were filled with plowing, sowing, and hoeing. Her father warned her about the cobra. He told her the cobra was the farmer’s friend. It protected the field from mice. And there was no danger as long as she respected the cobra’s space.

​

Rania remembered her first day of work. It was hot and dry. There was an ancient banyan tree at the edge of the field. She retreated to its shade for lunch at midday. The cobra’s den was at the base of the tree. The cobra lay nearby, soaking up the sun’s golden rays. Rania ate her lunch quietly while keeping a wary eye on the cobra. The cobra seemed content with the sun and didn’t stir.

​

Rania wondered if cobras liked milk. She placed a bowl of goat’s milk beside the cobra’s den entrance the next morning. Then she began her day’s work in the field. She inspected the bowl during her lunch break. It was empty, and the cobra was asleep, enjoying the sun’s warmth like every day. And so, Rania left milk for the cobra every morning before working in the field. The bowl was always empty at lunchtime. Rania would catch the cobra staring at her curiously sometimes. Then it would go back to sleep. They accepted each other’s presence as the summer went along. Rania wasn’t sure they were friends, but the cobra seemed to enjoy Rania’s presence at lunchtime.

​

Rania’s father leased the field from the village landlord. The landlord charged one-third of the crop’s harvest for rent. Rania had to work alone during the summer. Her father was busy helping to build the landlord’s new house. Rania knew her father wanted to buy the field. It was impossible, though. The profit from the harvest was never enough for that.

​

Summer days stretched from weeks to months. Then it was finished. The grain was as golden as the sun and the cobra. Rania’s father visited the field and asked her about the cobra. Rania showed him the empty milk bowl and the cobra sleeping contentedly nearby. He smiled and apologized for not helping her farm during the summer. The villagers had to help build the landlord’s house. That was part of the lease agreement.

​

The landlord visited the field at the end of summer. It was time to estimate the harvest’s profits. This year the landlord’s visit was different. Rania was weeding nearby and overheard their conversation.

​

“I have decided to sell the field to the railroad. I need the money to pay the bank for my new house,” the landlord explained. “The railroad manager thinks this field is a perfect location for the new train station.”

​

“How can I farm with no field?” Rania’s father asked.

​

“I would sell the field to you,” the landlord said, “but you don’t have enough money to do that. Take this year’s harvest profits and move to the city. Lots of farmers do that.”

​

“What if I could raise the money to buy this field?” Rania’s father asked.

​

“That’s impossible. But I will give you until the end of harvest time to raise the money,” the landlord said. “I’ll sell the land to the railroad if you don’t have the money by then.”

​

Rania was shocked. Her father would never be able to farm again—something he loved doing. And she would have to leave school and her friends behind. Rania looked at the cobra snoozing in the sun. What would happen to the cobra? Railroad people don’t like cobras near the station. The cobra would be in danger. Rania’s mind was in turmoil the rest of the day. She didn’t do the normal hand ballet with the cobra at the end of the day. She sat under the banyan tree, lost in thought. The cobra’s eyes narrowed. Then it bumped Rania’s forehead, jolting her back to her senses. Rania sighed, patted the cobra on the head, and returned home.

​

The family talked about the day’s events at dinner that evening.

​

“There is nothing else to do,” Rania’s father sighed. “I’ll go to the city after the harvest and look for a job. You will join me later.”

​

“Isn’t there some way to buy the land, Father?” Rania asked.

​

“Don’t worry your father over foolish dreams,” Rania’s mother said. “We’re not rich like the landlord. We’ll do as your father says and move to the city.”  

​

“I went to the bank—but the bank won’t loan me the money. We have no choice. I’m sorry. I know you want to stay here with your friends and go to school. And I want to continue farming. Life sometimes sends us in new directions. We have to make the best of such challenges.”

​

Rania couldn’t sleep that night. She decided to visit the field to think. She slipped out of their mudbrick home and walked to the field. The moon lit her way. She went to the banyan tree to look for the cobra. It wasn’t there. It was patrolling the field for mice like every night. She sat by the cobra’s den and cried. She would be far from her school friends. There would be no more summers working the field with her father, or seeing the cobra every day. She felt a bump on her forehead and looked up. The cobra was there. It stared at her with those hypnotizing eyes. Then it slipped its coils around Rania’s waist as if to hug her. This was the first time the cobra had done such a thing. The cobra uncoiled itself from Rania and zigzagged off into the field, returning to its patrol. Rania sighed, got up, brushed herself off, and returned home to a restless sleep. Her mother’s call for breakfast woke her.

​

Rania finished breakfast, filled a gourd with milk for the cobra, and then trudged to the field. Her life would soon change forever. What would happen to the cobra? She filled the cobra’s bowl with milk before taking one last walk through the field. She thought of the times she enjoyed working in the field. She would miss looking at the distant snow-covered mountains while resting under the banyan tree with her golden friend. She sighed and returned to the cobra’s den to visit it one last time.  

​

Rania noticed something glistening in the dish when she arrived at the cobra’s den. It was the cobra’s skin. It was as if the dish was filled with the sun’s golden warmth. The cobra had shed its skin during the night. And there in the dish lay its golden coat. Rania picked it up. It was heavy as lead. But it wasn’t lead—it was gold—pure gold. Rania looked around and discovered the cobra sleeping contentedly nearby. It was soaking up the sun’s rays as usual. But its new coat was curry yellow, not golden like the one resting in the dish. Rania patted the cobra’s head. The cobra opened its eyes, winked at Rania, and went back to sleep.

​

Rania rushed home. Her father had just arrived home after pleading with the landlord one last time. It was no use. He was packing a bag to go to the city to look for a job. Rania was too excited to speak. She held the cobra’s golden skin out to him. Tears came to his eyes, and they all hugged and laughed. The next day, he went to the city with the golden cobra skin. He sold it to a gold merchant. There was enough gold to buy land for all the villagers. The railroad would have to build its station elsewhere. Rania was able to go to college later. What did she study? Herpetology. She spent her summers with her family and visiting the field her father continued to farm. Rania learned about cobra venom and its uses for medicine. And the cobra enjoyed goat’s milk every day and patrolled the field at night as always. Whether it grew another golden skin has yet to be determined.

​

Author’s Note:

Cobra venom is one of the most dangerous poisons in the animal kingdom. However, researchers have found that a protein from cobra venom is effective in treating several ailments humans have, such as rheumatoid arthritis, heart attacks, and strokes.