One day, circumstances were such that the preparation of lunch for the Zen Master Fugai and his students was delayed. In a hurry, the cook went out into the garden, cut off the tops of green vegetables with a knife, chopped them and prepared soup, not suspecting that among the vegetables he had cut off part of a snake. All Fugai's students said that they had never eaten a more delicious soup, when suddenly the Master found a snake's head in his bowl. He asked for a cook.
“What is this?” he asked, holding the snake’s head in his hand.
“Thank you, Master,” the cook replied, took a piece and quickly swallowed it.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru