पञ्चतंत्र - मित्रभेद - पिशुनः

पदाहतोऽपि दृढदण्डसमाहतोऽपि
    यं दंष्ट्रया स्पृशति तं किल हन्ति सर्पः |
कोप्येष एव पिशुनोग्रमनुष्यधर्मः
    कर्णे परं स्पृशति हन्ति परं समूलम् ||

- पञ्चतंत्र, मित्रभेद

A snake bites those who stamp over it, or beat it with a stick. Only the person who gets bitten by a snake dies. But the behavior of a rumor monger is strange. He bites one person's ears (with a rumor) and some one else gets destroyed all together.

- Panchatantra, Mitrabhedha