Of scorpions and snakes

Let me tell you a story. It’s not one of those cute fairy tales where everyone lives happily ever after. This one ends wet, stung and slightly dead.

- FRANCIS J. KONG

I first featured this story in my four-volume book set “One Day at a Time.” And now that I am reissuing an updated version of the same book set that was first released some twenty-plus years ago, I am reminded of this story and would like to share it with you.

A scorpion once asked a frog for a favor.

“Hey, buddy,” he said, “Mind giving me a lift across this pond? I’ll hop on your back, and we'll both get to the other side.”

The frog looked at him, head tilted like a confused emoji.

“Are you serious? You're a scorpion. You sting things. That’s your thing! What if you sting me halfway across and we both drown?”

The scorpion, clearly offended, said, “Why would I do that? That's completely illogical. If I sting you, we both die. No one benefits. Your fear is irrational.”

The frog, clearly a believer in logic and second chances, said, “Fair enough. Climb on.”

And so they sailed. Right up until the scorpion, midway across the pond, did precisely what the frog feared: he stung him.

As they began to sink, the frog, struggling to breathe and reason simultaneously, gasped, “But... you said... it didn’t make sense!”

To which the scorpion calmly replied: “I know. But I’m a scorpion. This isn’t about logic. This is about nature.”

Moral of the story? Don’t argue character with logic. You'll end up wet, betrayed and wondering why you didn’t just swim alone.