The Rattlesnake and the Coyote
This isn't an original story and some of you may have heard it already. If so, sorry for the repeat.
There is a moral to this story:
There was a big burning grass fire that high winds was moving very quickly and cindering everything in it's path. The animals were fleeing for their lives.
A coyote ran from the flames until he reached a very wide and fast moving river. It was all rapids and waterfalls. As he stood there, flames encroaching, the coyote realized that he didn't have the strength to swim across that formidable river. Quietly, a rattle snake approached. The rattlesnake said to the coyote, "Hey look, I know that we're mortal enemies and under normal circumstances, we'd never work together, but this isn't normal circumstances and it's to both our advantages that you hear me out".
The rattler went on to say, "I can't make it across that crazy, wide and fast river by myself and I see that you realize the same thing. If we work together, maybe as a team, we can save ourselves from this inferno."
The snake continued saying, "If you let me crawl up onto your back, then you get into the river, I'll wiggle and whip my tail as fast as possible and you can dog-paddle as hard as you can. Maybe, just maybe, we'll make it across to the other side and we can both live through this ordeal".
The coyote thought to himself, "This is a rattlesnake and everybody knows that they can't be trusted". Then, he couldn't help but to come to the conclusion, "By myself I'll never make it across that mighty river and neither can that rattler, so I guess we only have three choices, team-up with together and possibly make it across, singularly we'll drown in our attempt to swim the river, or we can each burn in the fire".
The coyote makes his decision. He says to the rattlesnake, "Okay, you get up onto my back" and the snake does. The coyote gets into the river and starts to dog-paddle. The rattlesnake whips his tail with all of his might and together they're actually making it across the river.
Shortly, before they reach the far shore, the rattler reaches forward and sinks his fangs into the neck of the coyote. The coyote and the snake both start to suck water while they begin to quickly drift with the current. Their heads begin to bob below the surface of the water and with his dying breath the coyote asks the snake, "Why did you do that? Now, we're both going to die".
The rattlesnake replies, "I couldn't help it, it's in my nature, I am a Rattlesnake."
I hope all of you folks are having a good day.
Geezer