The Scorpion and the Frog
~ also told as the Scorpion and the Turtle ~

The Scorpion and the Frog

This story has been around since the dawn of mankind and story-telling,  first appearing in ancient Sanskrit folklore. 

One day, a scorpion wanted to travel across a stream to explore what he might find there, not knowing how he might get there. 

He reached the streams edge, the stream was wide and flowing fast.  The scorpion stopped to evaluate the situation.

He couldn't see any way across.

He decided to check here and there, going upstream and then downstream.  Wondering how me might make his way across, and pondering if he might have to reconsider altogether.

Then he glanced upon a rock near the opposite side of the stream. 

The Scorpion called out; "Hellooo Mr. Frog!" across the water. "Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your back across the river?"

"Well now, Mr. Scorpion!  Normally I would like to help out one who is in need, But YOU are a Scorpion . . .   How do I know that if I help you, you wont try to kill me?" asked the frog with great hesitation.

"Because, my dear Mr. Frog" the scorpion replied, "If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for you see I cannot swim, so of course it stands to reason that I would not kill you, I just ask for a kindly favor!"

This did seem to make sense to Mr. Frog, and he asked  "What about when I cross over and get close to the bank? You could try to kill me then!"

The Scorpion and the Frog cont'd:

"Yes,  this is true Mr. Frog," agreed the scorpion, "But then I wouldn't be able to get to the other side of the river!"

"Alright then... how do I know you wont just wait till we get to the other side and THEN kill me?" said Mr Frog.

"Ahh, I see your point..," crooned Mr Scorpion, "Well you see Mr. Frog,  once you've taken me to the other side of this river, I will be so grateful for your help, that it would hardly be fair to reward you with death, now would it, please trust me Mr. Frog?!"

 The frog  thought about it for a few moments and then agreed to take the scorpion across the stream.

He swam over to the sandy edge and settled himself to pick up his passenger.

The scorpion crawled onto the frog's back, his sharp claws prickling into the frog's soft and smooth skin, and the frog gently slid into the river.

The water was treacherous, mud swirling around them, but the frog stayed near the surface so the scorpion would not drown. He kicked strongly traveling across the stream, his legs paddling strongly against the current.

Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion removing his stinger from the frog's back.  A deadening numbness began to creep into his limbs.

"What did you do?" croaked the frog in dismay, "Now we shall both die! Why on earth would you do that?"

The scorpion hissed, "I tried to resist, but alas I could not help myself. It is my nature."

They both sank into the muddy waters of the swiftly flowing stream.

A sad story yes, but the moral of the story of the scorpion and the frog is that people will be who they are, some people might feign friendship or love to get what they want, but in the end they will follow their true nature even if it is to their own demise. 

Trust takes time, and there is no substitute for time in the matter of trust, only with time can you see the true colors of another.

The symbolism of the scorpion and the frog leads us to consider that when someone asks you for something, take time to consider their true nature.  

Most of us know a "scorpion", indeed a scorpion will admit to being a scorpion.  They seem to have no conscious about taking advantage or even hurting others, even if it leads to their own demise.  If pushed into a corner, and no other defense is left a scorpion will say "this is just my nature!   A scorpion knows that they will do anything to get what they want.

Many of us know a "frog", those willing to help others while sacrificing themselves or their own best interests.  The short coming of the frog is that it needs to consider what is best for itself, learn to say no and trust your instincts!  The Frog knew that the Scorpion was dangerous and deadly, and yet trusted the words -- always trust the actions, the actions reveal the truth!

All of us have a little of each of the scorpion and the frog, but like the story of the Two Wolves, which shall you feed?