The Snail Searching for Happiness
Snails are born with a home, but this particular snail was very dissatisfied with its own. Many admired it for having a cozy home without any effort, but the snail thought its home was too insignificant and brought no prestige. It envied the sparrow whose nest was high up in the branches, looking down on others from above; the bees' hive was beautiful and grand; and the spider's web was even better—spiders didn't have to do anything and yet had everything they needed thanks to their advantageous home.
Every day, the snail would crawl laboriously on the ground, feeling inferior compared to the rabbit that could run long distances, the sparrow boasting from high branches, the bees flying far and wide, and the ants gathering treasures in their burrows. Determined to change its life and destiny, the snail aspired to live differently. Having always looked up to others due to its humble origins, it yearned to turn the tables and look down on others. With this goal set, it began climbing towards higher branches.
Carrying its heavy shell, the snail climbed slowly, day after day. Gradually, it lost confidence and grew tired of the hard work. It started seeing its home as a burden rather than a blessing, an obstacle to its pursuit of happiness.
After some consideration, the snail decided to aim for a new, prestigious, and happy home. Its target became the spider. The reason? The spider’s web was not only high up but also offered a superior lifestyle. Once, the snail visited the spider's web, standing high above and looking down at the ants and rabbits working below. This gave the snail a sense of superiority and detachment, making it feel like it was part of a higher class.
The snail and the spider began dating passionately. When things got serious, the spider asked the snail to abandon its home and shell to live together online (in the web).
The snail readily agreed, thinking that if it hadn’t been ambitious and pursued its dreams, it might have remained a lowly snail forever, never finding happiness. It pleaded with God to remove its home and shell. God warned, "This is my gift to you, unique among all creatures, divinely matched, and cannot be separated by humans. If you insist on removing it now, are you not afraid of punishment?" Confident in its decision, the snail insisted. God complied, though the separation caused immense pain, both physical and emotional. Despite the bleeding wounds, the snail endured, hoping for future happiness.
After enduring the excruciating pain of separation, the snail healed and became free to come and go as it pleased. The spider welcomed it into the web. Initially, the snail enjoyed the sense of superiority, but soon discomfort set in. Previously, despite the hardships and poverty, the shell provided protection from wind, rain, and sun. Now, suspended in the web without its shell, the snail suffered under the sun and during storms. While the spider had adapted to this lifestyle, the snail felt like it was being punished. The spider found the snail too delicate, and communication became difficult due to their different backgrounds and experiences. Loneliness and insecurity crept in.
Longing for its old life, the snail returned to its shell, only to find another snail living there. There was no turning back.
In the spider's home, the snail did enjoy a life of ease and abundance, but lack of exercise weakened its body, and idleness left its spirit vacant. With the spider busy weaving new webs and catching new prey, the snail spent days alone on the web, feeling suspended in emptiness rather than grounded in happiness.
It questioned God: "Why, after enduring the pain of separation from my home and shell, am I still unhappy?" God smiled silently. One day, the sparrow told it, "Those who think themselves clever and refuse advice, disregarding what they already possess, often end up this way."
Hearing this, the snail's heart sank. On a stormy night, it accidentally fell from the web and froze to death on the ground.