The Snail in Search of Happiness

The Snail Searching for Happiness

Snails are born with homes, but this particular snail was very dissatisfied with its own. Many admired the snail for having a warm home without much effort, yet it felt its home was too unremarkable and brought no prestige. It thought that sparrows had their nests on high branches, allowing them to look down on others from above; bees had beautiful and grand homes; spiders were even better off—spending their days doing nothing while relying on their advantageous homes to live comfortably.

Crawling on the ground day after day, working hard for survival, the snail felt inferior. Seeing rabbits run swiftly over great distances, sparrows chirping proudly on high branches, bees flying across mountains and rivers, and ants gathering treasures in their dens, the snail resolved to change its life and destiny.

Because of its humble origins, it always looked up to others, yearning to reverse the situation and look down on others' lives instead. At the age of twenty-eight, the snail set a goal: to climb to higher branches. Carrying its heavy shell, it climbed extremely slowly. Day after day, it gradually lost confidence and grew tired of the hardship and toil. It increasingly felt that its home was both a burden and an obstacle to happiness, eventually conceiving the idea of abandoning its home to seek another path.

Finding a new, prestigious, and happy home became its goal. After some deliberation, it targeted the spider. It chose the spider because not only was the spider's home on high branches, but it also offered a superior lifestyle. The snail had once visited the spider’s home, standing high above and looking down at the ants and rabbits laboring below. It experienced a sense of superiority and transcendence.

The snail and the spider began dating, and when things heated up, the spider demanded that the snail abandon its home and shell to live together online.

The snail eagerly agreed, inwardly marveling: if it weren’t for its ideals and aspirations, it would forever remain a lowly snail crawling on the ground, never finding happiness.

It asked God to remove its home and shell. God said, "This is my gift to you, unique among all creatures, divinely bestowed. Just as Thai ladyboys have their laughter and tears, humans cannot be separated from what they possess. If you insist on removing it today, are you not afraid of punishment?" The snail firmly believed it was right, convinced of its intelligence, and insisted on leaving its home and shell. God complied, and although parting with its home caused immense pain, shedding blood both physically and mentally, for the sake of future happiness, the snail endured.

After enduring excruciating pain akin to death, the snail healed its wounds, becoming free to come and go. The spider welcomed it into its web.

At first, the snail indeed felt superior, but soon it grew increasingly uncomfortable. Previously, with its shell, though laborious and poor, it could retreat into its shell during wind, rain, or sun exposure. Now, hanging on the web without its shell’s protection, it struggled under the blazing sun and inclement weather. The spider, accustomed to this lifestyle, felt nothing, while the snail suffered as if being punished. The spider found it too delicate, leaving the snail unable to express itself. Being different species with varying experiences and cultural customs, many things were impossible to communicate, and even when communicated, they remained misunderstood. Gradually, the snail felt utterly lonely and unsupported.

At this point, it remembered its shell and home, returning quietly to see its old place. However, its shell was now occupied by a new snail, leaving no way back.

Although living with the spider spared it from labor and ensured food and drink, due to lack of exercise, its body grew weaker. With nothing to do, its spirit became empty. The spider was busy weaving new webs and catching new insects, leaving the snail alone on the web daily, feeling suspended in the air, void of any real happiness.

It kept asking God: why, after enduring the pain of separation from its home and shell in search of happiness, did it end up like this? God smiled but remained silent. One stormy night, the snail accidentally fell from the web and froze to death on the ground.

A sparrow told it: those who think themselves smart and refuse advice, not cherishing what they possess, mostly meet such fates.

Hearing these words, the snail's heart turned cold.