Reply #16: "The scorpion wants to cross a river, but does not see any way across. . .

[Strelnikov_]

The scorpion wants to cross a river, but does not see any way across.

She sees a frog sitting by the bank of the stream on the other side of the river, and asks the frog for help getting across the stream.

The frog responds “How do I know that if I try to help you, you won’t try to kill me?". "Because," the scorpion replies, "If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for I cannot swim!"

"Alright then...how do I know you won’t just wait till we get to the other side and then kill me?" said the frog. "Because once you've taken me to the other side of this river, I will be so grateful for your help, that it would hardly be fair to reward you with death, now would it?!" replies the scorpion.

So the frog agrees to take the scorpion across the river.

Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back. "You fool!" croaked the frog, "Now we will both die! Why did you do that?" The scorpion shrugged, “I could not help myself. It is my nature."

They then both sink into the muddy waters of the river and drown.