Once there was this hiker, out for an afternoon stroll.
He was up hiking in the mountains, and was moving along a pretty good clip.
He got up over the tree line, and noticed that the temperature had dropped considerably. He zipped up his jacket, went for a while longer, and then decided to head back.
As he was about to enter back down into the tree line, he heard a voice calling out.
“Help me,” it cried.
The hiker looked around and saw a rattlesnake.
“I made a mistake. It’s getting so cold I can’t move. If you leave me here, I’ll die.”
The man thought, and then said:
“But you’re a rattlesnake. You’ll bite me.”
“Please. I promise. I won’t bite. Just put me back down as soon as you get below the trees. Otherwise I’ll die.”
The man thought about it, but it was obvious that the snake was clearly in danger, and he sounded sincere. He picked him up, and walked down into the trees. Just as he was reaching into his pocket to free the snake, the snake bit him.
Soon the hiker collapsed, and was breathing his last breaths when the snake slithered out of his pocket.
“You said you wouldn’t bite me. You promised.” He said, sadness in his eys.
“I know,” said the snake. “But you knew what I was when you picked me up.”
The man died, and the snake slithered away.
Moral of the story? There are many.
Which one resonates with you?