Scorpion.

Photo: Harpers Bazaar editorial/ tale source: The Kevin Dolan

Scorpion had lived on the East side of the river valley for his entire life, and as he reached his second year, he asked himself what might await on the other side.

He saw a frog sitting calmly by the river.  Scorpion approached carefully, so as not to frighten the frog, but scorpions are a fearful creature after all and the frog withdrew into the water.

Scorpion yelled to the frog, “Frog, I am Scorpion and I would like to cross the river, but I cannot swim!  Can I hop on your back and ride across?”

The frog responded suspiciously, “But you are a scorpion?  How am I to know that you will not just sting me?”

Scorpion thought hard about how he could prove his innocence to the frog.  Perhaps some logic would do the trick!  “My dear frog, if I were to sting you, I would be left in the middle of the river to drown, for as you know, I cannot swim!”

Scorpion’s words were enough to convince the frog, so she agreed to take Scorpion across the river.  The frog swam to the bank and allowed Scorpion to climb atop her back.  Scorpion’s claws dug into the frog’s back, but she didn't mind.

As the frog began swimming across the river, she considered whether this would be the start of a lifelong friendship between her and Scorpion.

 

Just as the frog’s mind was wondering, she felt a sharp pain in her back.  She quickly began to feel her limbs going numb and her swimming began to slow.  She cried out to Scorpion, “Why have you stung me Scorpion? Now we are both going to drown here in the river!”

Scorpion replied simply, “Frog, I stung you because I am a scorpion.”

Some men are like scorpions. This frog wants to live.