The Farmer and the Viper
1 min read ages 5 and up talerie.com/en/tales/the-farmer-and-the-viper
A farmer crossing his fields in winter finds a viper frozen stiff in the snow. He feels sorry for the snake, picks it up, and tucks it inside his coat against his chest to warm it.
One winter day, a farmer was out in his fields when he came upon a viper lying in the snow. It was frozen stiff, so numb with cold that it could not move at all.
The farmer felt sorry for it. He picked the snake up, opened his coat, and tucked it inside against his chest to warm it.
Little by little, the warmth crept back into the viper. But no sooner had it come to life than it turned on the man who had saved it and bit him.
The bite was deadly. As the poor farmer lay dying, he cried out, “I got just what I deserved for taking pity on such a wicked creature.”
Retold by Talerie from Aesop’s Fables: a new translation (opens in a new window) Public domain Copy this text, adapt it, use it however you like. A link back to Talerie is appreciated but never required. CC0 1.0 (opens in a new window)