of something my cousin told me a few days back...
My cousin is a lady who may not be knowledgeable about a whole lot of things, but is very cultured and has a fount of native wisdom. One day when we were sitting together and talking about the way a very quiet person we knew had revolted against her circumstances, she said there was a saying: How long can you stamp on, trample and kick even the mildest of snakes, that is anyway relegated to crawling on the ground? One day it is sure to raise its head and sting...
Since my DD had some major issues about the snake bit - I thought I'd share the explanation - you cannot go on and on kicking, trampling and stamping on a person (just because the person is quiet, or good-natured, or genuinely selfless, or can take a lot, or poor, or downtrodden), for one day, that person will stand up for herself/himself...