Taiping Guangji Scroll 456: “Snakes 1” story No. 6 , 毒蛇
Mountain south, the five creeks and Qianzhong all have poisonous snakes, raven-black with a reversed nose, coiled in the grass. Their teeth are crooked backwards, and when within a few steps away from a human being, they will come right away, swift like a flying arrow. Their bite will bring an immediate death upon men, if the hand was bitten, cut off the hand. If the leg was bitten, cut off the leg. Otherwise the whole body will get swollen and turn bad, and not one of a hundred cases shall be redeemed, that is called a venomous snake.
There exists a snake with a yellow throat, who likes being at residence tops. It is not poisonous and does not harm humans, and his only merit is in eating poisonous snakes. After eating to it’s full, it hangs it’s head straight down, and drips foam, which once sprayed on the ground changes into sand chiggers, which cause diseases when within humans. On it’s forehead there appears a 王 sign. Being the chief for the multitude of snakes, it regularly eats venomous snakes.
Taken from “Chaoye Qianzai” (朝野僉載)
Strange Tales 