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The fable of the scorpion who couldn't help it...

Dernière mise à jour : 21 avr. 2020



I wonder if you know the fable of the scorpion and the crocodile; it's my favorite one. I heard it in a film when I was thirteen or fourteen, and it intrigued me so much that I spend my life telling it to anyone who wants to hear it.


It’s the story of a scorpion who wanted to cross a river, but as he couldn't swim, he asked a crocodile to let him climb on his back. The crocodile yelled:


"Oh, certainly not, I know how you are; you are going to sting me at the middle of the crossing".


The scorpion replied with a honeyed voice:


"Don't be ridiculous; don't forget that I cannot swim, this would lead to my own death.”

Convinced, the crocodile accepted and authorized the scorpion to climb on his back. At the middle of the crossing, the scorpion stung the crocodile. The crocodile was slowly drowning, and while rendering his last breath, he couldn't help looking behind him and ask the scorpion the reason for this unreasonable action. The scorpion simply replied:


"I couldn't help it."


I told this story thousand times and I still feel it very strongly each time I pronounce: «I couldn't help it".


I think this fable sums up well our humanity.


First, we can't help believing people as soon as what they say seems to make sense to us, because we all are raised under the rationality of what we call "good sens". At the same time, we cannot imagine that what is incoherent according to our unique logic can have another sense which escapes from us.


Second, we cannot help doing things that we know are harmful to us.


I am not proud, but I can't help it being a scorpion.


That's all for me today; my fable is over :-)


Do you have a favorite fable to tell us?


 

Hello my name is Kika


 

Written by Malika BELHIS-TURPAIN

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