The Farmer and the Snake
Traditional Fable by: Aesop
Source: Aesop's Fables
On a bitter winter morning, a kind-hearted farmer was walking home when he spotted a snake lying frozen and near death on the roadside. Moved by pity, the farmer gently picked up the snake and carried it home, placing it by the warm hearth to revive.
As the snake slowly regained its strength, the farmer’s children gathered around, curious about the unusual guest. The farmer warned them to be careful, but the children, trusting their father’s kindness, wanted to watch the snake recover.
No sooner had the snake warmed up than it lashed out and bit the farmer’s son, then quickly slithered away into the cold. The family was shocked and heartbroken, realizing that their act of kindness had brought them harm instead of gratitude.
From that day on, the farmer remembered that kindness to the ungrateful can be dangerous, and that some natures cannot be changed, no matter how much compassion is shown.
Moral: Kindness to the ungrateful can be dangerous. Some natures cannot be changed.
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