"Children's Books - Peasant Snake and Fox" - читать интересную книгу автора (Children's Books)

THE PEASANT, THE SNAKE AND THE FOX

Once upon a time, a peasant on his way home heard a feeble voice calling
"Help! Help!" He looked round, took a careful step or two then realised that
the sound was coming from beneath a large boulder. He asked in amazement:
"Who's that calling?" And a voice replied,
"It's me. The rock rolled down over my hole and I'm shut in. I can't get
out, I'm going to die. Please help me. Move the boulder." The peasant then
asked:
"But who are you?"
"I'm a poor snake," came the reply.
"A snake? But if I let you out you will bite me."
"No, no, I promise I won't. Get me out, please!" The peasant allowed
himself to be persuaded and he shifted the boulder . . . and out of a hole in
the ground slid a snake which darted towards the peasant and tried to bite
him. The man jumped back and cried,
"Why did you do that?" The snake replied, "Because every good deed is
rewarded by an evil one, didn't you know that?"
"No, I didn't. I don't think that's so," said the peasant.
"Very well," said the snake. "Let's go and ask someone. If we come across
someone who thinks as you do, well, that's it, but if people say I'm right,
then I shall bite you. Agreed?"
"Agreed," said the peasant, and off they went.
A little later, they met an old mangy lame horse, thin and covered in
scratches, with an uncombed mane and dirty tail. The peasant spoke to him.
"Listen, friend. If someone does a good deed, what does he get as his
reward?" Without a moment's hesitation, the horse replied.
"A bad deed. Look at me! I served my master faithfully for years and now
that I'm old, he has left me to die of starvation!" At these words, the snake
turned to the peasant and hissed, "Did you hear that? I shall bite you now!"
But the man exclaimed: "Wait! One question isn't enough! We have to ask
someone else."
"Bother!" exclaimed the snake. "Very well, let's look for someone else, but
wait and see, I'm right and I'll get my bite!" So, leaving the horse behind,
the pair went on their way.
They met a sheep which, at the peasant's question, said: "A good deed is
always repaid with a bad deed. Look at me, I always follow my master and never
complain. I obey him all the time and what does he do? He shears my fleece in
winter, so I feel the cold, and makes me keep it in summer, so I melt with the
heat!"
"Get ready," said the snake, "I'm about to bite!" But the peasant said,
"Please! We've had the first round, and the second one as well, now let's
play the deciding round. If I'm wrong at the third question, then I'll let you
bite me."
On they went, and in the wood, the peasant caught sight of a fox. Suddenly
he had an idea. With an excuse, he left the snake on the road and ran into the
wood to speak to the fox.
"Listen, fox, do you too think that a good deed is always rewarded by a bad
one?"
"Of course!" replied the fox. Then the man went on.