The Farmer and the Snake

一个寒冷的冬天，北风呼呼的刮着，冻得人直打哆嗦。一个农夫在回家的路上，发现了一条冻僵的蛇。农夫很可怜它，便把它拾了起来，放进自己怀里。

蛇得到温暖后，慢慢地苏醒过来。它马上恢复了恶毒的本性，对着农夫的胸口狠狠地咬了一口。农夫中了蛇毒，很快就奄奄一息了，临死前，他后悔地说：“唉，我真该死，我不应该去怜悯一条毒蛇的。”

A liberal translation:

One cold day, when the northern winds were blowing particularly hard, a farmer was walking home along a road. Off to the side, he noticed a poor little snake shivering and nearly frozen solid. The farmer, taking pity on the snake, decided to rescue it and take it home where it would be warm and comfortable. So, the farmer bent over, picked up the snake and continued walking home.

Once he arrived, the farmer set the snake near the fireplace. As the snake began to warm, it became more and more awake and its natural venomous instincts also began to return.

When the farmer returned to check on the snake, the snake sprung at him and bit his arm. The man let out a yell and as he slumped against the wall dying he mumbled to himself, "I should have never taken pity on a venomous snake!"

The End

This was a story in a children's book I am currently reading. The lesson? Clearly, no matter how cute, innocent, or harmless something appears...never take pity. I was foolish enough to think the snake and farmer would become close friends and share many adventures together. Sadly, this was their first and last.

I imagine the snake went on to feign helplessness on other roads slowly killing entire villages. He is truly a devious creature talented in his craft.