The story of the farmer and the snake is a classic fable, often attributed to Aesop. Here is an English version of the story:
Once upon a time, a farmer found a snake frozen stiff with the cold. The farmer felt sorry for the snake and took it home to warm it up. The snake thawed out and became active again. But instead of being grateful, the snake bit the farmer.
The farmer was poisoned and lay on the ground, dying. The snake, realizing what it had done, slithered away.
As the farmer lay dying, he said to the snake, “I have been kind to you, and you have repaid me with a bite that will kill me. You are not worthy of kindness.”
The snake replied, “You were not kind to me. You were foolish. You knew I was a snake and that I would bite you if you warmed me up. You did it of your own free will.”
The farmer, gasping his last breath, said, “I thought you were dead. I did not know what I was doing.”
The snake replied, “Even if you did not know, you should have known better. It is the nature of snakes to bite when they are warmed up. You should have been more careful.”
And with those words, the farmer died, and the snake escaped without being punished.
This story teaches the moral that one should not show kindness to those who do not deserve it, as they may take advantage of it and cause harm.
