Numbered Discourses 5.230

1. Long Wandering

Black Snakes (2nd)

“Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks of a black snake.

What five?

It’s irritable, acrimonious, venomous, fork-tongued, and treacherous.

These are the five dangers of a black snake.

In the same way there are five drawbacks of a lady.

What five?

She’s irritable, acrimonious, venomous, fork-tongued, and treacherous.

This is a lady’s venom:

usually she’s very lustful.

This is a lady’s forked tongue:

usually she backbites.

This is a lady’s treachery:

usually she’s an adulteress.

These are the five drawbacks of a lady.”