In Search Of Cintamani Snake (追寻如意宝珠蛇)

The 20ft python bit a deer with its mouth and started to roll around the deer's body...

Once I was told by my friend Ah Keat that he has at one time came across a giant snake which the locals call it as 'ular cintamani' or the 'wish fulfilling jewel snake'. The snake gave Ah Keat a snake pearl during his fasting in a cave near Kinta Valley.

After begging him for perhaps thousands of times, Ah Keat finally agreed to tell me the location but he didn't want to accompany me there. Though I wasn't convince that Ah Keat has told me the whole truth, I traveled to the cave where he said the ular cintamani is believed to have dwelled.

The said cave was located in a limestone hill near where the locals would call the 'valley of death'. It used to be a popular place for some Thai monks to meditate and stay some years back. Now the place is largely abandoned and sometimes people like me would go there to take short retreat.

According to Ah Keat's instruction, I should first burn some 'kemayan' (benzoin) to inform the cintamani snake that I have arrived so that it can come to grant me wishes. I must also made some food offerings such as bananas, biscuits and eggs as a means to show gratitude.

So I have done what was told and found myself a nice spot where I can observe movements outside of the cave. I can't remember for how long I sat in silent and as my mind started to wander about how the cintamani snake would look like and what should I say to the sacred snake. My meditation session transformed into vivid imaginations.

Time flies and soon it was already approaching 7pm as I looked at my watch. There was still bright enough to look outside... Suddenly I heard some noise near the cave entrance. Due to curiosity, I extended my neck to look outside.

Ah, it was a wild deer of some kind start eating the bananas that I put outside for the cintamani snake. Due to boredom, I stared at the deer as it looked quite contented eating the offerings. Just as I was wandering when the holy cintamani snake would make its debut, I suddenly heard the squeaking noise of the deer.

I raised up and walked a few steps to investigate. To my surprised, I saw a giant python has bitten the deer at the neck and starting to roll onto the poor deer's body and slowly squeezing it.

Then the python opened its mouth and devour the deer head down. I watched in horror and my legs just wouldn't barge. Occasionally the python smashed its body against the limestone wall perhaps in the attempt to further crush the skeleton of the deer so as to ease its swallowing.

Soon the night fell and I was trapped in the cave. At that moment, I wasn't really praying to see the cintamani snake but for the sake of my own life. Just hoped that there won't be a second python in or outside of the cave or I would be history.

Soon there were no more smashing sound outside and the environment were filled with the cacophony of insects and occasionally night birds. I still dared not move and stayed vigilant until the next morning.

On the sign of first daylight, I slowly sneak out of the cave and saw the python about 18 to 20 feet in length curved itself at the side of the entrance. Looked like it just had a meal and it has no intention on human meat. So, I rushed out to look for help.

I soon returned with some villagers and wildlife department officers and the giant python was captured and relocated. A villager told me that he believe the python was the answer of the mysterious disappearance of their polarities and cattle during the past one year or so.

To me, I was just glad that I wasn't part of that mysterious disappearance episode.

When Ah Keat asked if I have seen the cintamani snake, I first nodded my head: "Snake yes!" Then shook my head and continued: "Cintamani, NO!!"

Come and think of it, maybe the greatest gift of this cintamani snake is to let me live for a few years more...