“IT IS WHAT I DO,”

There was this little duck that enjoyed paddling in the small pond below the hill. In the middle of the pond was a tiny island. One day it rained and rained. It rained for days and the pond soon started filling up and the tiny island got smaller and smaller. But the duck did not mind the rain because it liked water.

As it swam near the island it heard a small voice. “Help me! I will drown if you do not help me!”

The duck became curious and swam closer to the island and saw that it was a scorpion. “Help me get off this island,” said the scorpion. “If you don’t help me I will drown.”

“How can I help you?” the duck asked.

“You can carry me on your back and take me across to the mainland,” said the scorpion.

“But if I do that you will sting me,” replied the duck.

“No, I will not. If you help me why would I sting you? If I sting you, you will die, and I will drown.”

So the duck allowed the scorpion to crawl onto its back and it paddled over to the mainland. But halfway across the pond the scorpion stung the duck at the back of its neck. As the duck was dying it asked the scorpion, “Why did you sting me? I am dying and now you will also die.”

“It is what I do,” replied the scorpion.

And they both died.