Rabbi Yochanan Restores the Life of Rabbi Kahana

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For the sake of ease I will use the Translation of Soncino to Baba Kama page 117 to describe the entire story.
A certain man who was desirous of showing another man's straw [to be confiscated] appeared before Rab, who said to him: ‘Don't show it! Don't show it!’ He retorted: ‘I will show it! I will show it!’ R. Kahana was then sitting before Rab, and he tore [that man's] windpipe out of him. Rab thereupon quoted: Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the heads of all the streets as a wild bull in a net;{ Isa. LI, 20.} just as when a ‘wild bull’ falls into a ‘net’ no one has mercy upon it, so with the property of an Israelite, as soon as it falls into the hands of heathen oppressors no mercy is exercised towards it.{ More correctly perhaps, ‘towards him’, referring thus to the Israelite; v. Ab. II, 2, also Asheri B.K. X, 27; the act of R. Kahana was in this way vindicated.}
 
   Rab therefore said to him: ‘Kahana, until now the Greeks {So MS.M.; cur. edd.: Persians. The reference is to the Parthians whose sway over Babylon came to an end in 266 when they were defeated by the Sassanians. } who did not take much notice of bloodshed were [here and had sway, but] now the Persians {So MS.M.; curr. edd.: Greeks. Ardeshir, the first of the Sassanian kings, deprived the Jews of the right they had hitherto exercised under the Parthians of inflicting capital punishment } who are particular regarding bloodshed are here, and they will certainly say, "Murder, murder!";{ Or ‘Rebellion} arise therefore and go up to the Land of Israel but take it upon yourself that you will not point out any difficulty to Rabbi Yochanan {spelled by Soncino as Johanan} for the next seven years. When he arrived there he found Resh Lakish sitting and going over  the lecture of the day for [the younger of] the Rabbis. He thereupon said to them: ‘Where is Resh Lakish?’{MS.M. adds, ‘and R. Kahana did not know that it was Resh Lakish (who was repeating the other lecture}.
They said to him: ‘Why do you ask?’ He replied: ‘This point [in the lecture] is difficult and that point is difficult, but this could be given as an answer and that could be given as an answer.’ When they mentioned this to Resh Lakish, Resh Lakish went and said to R. Yochanan {Johanan}: ‘A lion has come up from Babylon; let the Master therefore look very carefully into tomorrow's lecture.’
  On the morrow R. Kahana was seated on the first row of disciples before R. Johanan, but as the latter made one statement and the former did not raise any difficulty, another statement, and the former raised no difficulty, R. Kahana was put back through the seven rows until he remained seated upon the very
last row. R. Yochanan {Johanan} thereupon said to R. Simeon b. Lakish: ‘The lion you mentioned turns out to be a [mere] fox.’
   R. Kahana thereupon whispered [in prayer]: ‘May it be the will [of Heaven] that these seven rows be in the place of the seven years mentioned by Rab.’ He thereupon immediately stood on his feet {This is missing in MS.M. according to which it was on another day when R. Yochanan {Johanan} made new statements that R. Kahana said so.} and said to R. Yochanan {Johanan}: ‘Will the Master please start the lecture again from the beginning.’
  As soon as the latter made a statement [on a matter of law], R. Kahana pointed out a difficulty, and so also when R. Yochanan {Johanan} subsequently made further statements, for which he was placed again on the first row.
 R. Yochanan {Johanan} was sitting upon seven cushions. Whenever he made a statement against which a difficulty was pointed out, one cushion was pulled out from   under him[and so it went on until] all the cushions were pulled out from under him and he remained seated upon the ground.
  As R. Yochanan {Johanan} was then a very old man and his eyelashes were overhanging he said to them, ‘Lift up my eyes for me as I want to see him.’ So they lifted up his eyelids with silver pincers.
He saw that R. Kahana's lips were parted and thought that he was laughing at him. He felt aggrieved and in consequence the soul of R. Kahana went to rest.
   On the next day R. Yochanan {Johanan} said to our Rabbis, ‘Have you noticed how the Babylonian was making [a laughing-stock of us]?’ But they said to him, ‘This was his natural appearance.’
   He thereupon went to the cave [of R. Kahana's grave] and saw a snake coiled round it. He said: ‘Snake, snake, open thy mouth and let the Master go in to the disciple.’ But the snake did not open its mouth.
   He then said: ‘Let the colleague go in to [his associate!’ But it still did not open [its mouth, until he said,] ‘Let the disciple enter to his Master; when the snake did open its mouth.
   He then prayed for mercy and raised him.
   He said to him, ‘Had I known that the natural appearance of the Master was like that, I should never have taken offence; now, therefore let the Master go with us.’
   He replied, ‘If you are able to pray for mercy that I should never die again [through causing you any annoyance], I will go with you, but if not I am not prepared to go with you. For later on you might change again.’
   R. Yochanan {Johanan} thereupon completely awakened and restored him and he used to consult him on doubtful points, R. Kahana solving them for him..