Once upon a time, in a small village surrounded by tall, rolling fields, there lived a kind farmer named Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown loved all of nature, from the smallest leaf to the tallest tree in the forest. He believed that every creature had its place in the world.
One cold morning, while Mr. Brown was walking in his field, he found a viper frozen in the snow. The snake was stiff and cold, and Mr. Brown felt sorry for it. He remembered his grandmother’s words: “Help all creatures, great and small.” Though he knew the viper was venomous, he carefully picked it up and carried it home.
At home, Mr. Brown gently warmed the viper by the fire. He fed it milk and made it a comfortable bed of straw. Slowly, the viper came back to life, moving and hissing softly in the warmth of the fire. Mr. Brown smiled happily, pleased that he had saved a life.
The next morning, as Mr. Brown reached out to check on the viper, it suddenly sprang up and bit his hand. Mr. Brown cried out in shock and pain, stumbling away from the fire.
“Why did you bite me when I saved your life?” Mr. Brown asked, feeling betrayed.
The viper hissed, “You knew what I was when you took me in.”
Mr. Brown learned a hard lesson that day as he tended to his injury, which fortunately wasn’t too serious. He realized that while it is important to help others, one must also be mindful of their true nature.
Moral of the story: Be kind and help others, but never forget their true nature.
