The Farmer and the Viper
Aesop's Fables
The wind whistled a chilly tune as Farmer Giles walked through his fields. Winter had painted everything white with frost, and his breath puffed out in little white clouds. He pulled his hat down tight and shivered a little, even in his thick coat.
Suddenly, he spotted something dark and still on the frosty ground. He bent down for a closer look. It was a snake, stiff and frozen like an icy stick. "Oh, you poor thing!" Farmer Giles whispered. His kind heart felt a little sad for it. "You must be terribly cold."
Carefully, Farmer Giles picked up the snake. It didn't move at all. He decided to take it home. "Maybe a little warmth will help you," he thought. He gently tucked the snake inside his warm coat, right next to his chest, and hurried back to his cozy cottage.
Inside, a fire was crackling merrily in the fireplace. Farmer Giles gently laid the snake on the warm hearthstones, not too close to the flames, but where it could feel the heat. He sat down and watched.
Slowly, so slowly, the snake began to wiggle. A little twitch here, a little shiver there. Its eyes, which had been dull, flickered open. It was alive! Farmer Giles smiled. He was happy he could help.
The snake, now fully awake and warm, lifted its head. It looked around. Then, quick as a flash, it hissed a little hiss, and then... SNAP! It bit Farmer Giles on the hand that had saved it.
"Ouch!" cried Farmer Giles, surprised and hurt. He looked at the snake, which now slithered away under a chair. Farmer Giles sighed, looking at the bite mark. "Well," he said to himself, "I tried to be kind. But I suppose some creatures will always be what they are, no matter what you do for them."
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