Aalice.278
net.jokes
utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!mhtsa!alice!ark
Sat Dec 19 00:07:39 1981
A Middle East Parable (no, this doesn't belong in net.jokes.q)
A scorpion, who wanted to cross a river but could not swim,
saw a frog on the river bank.

"Frog," he said, "can you carry me across this river?  I cannot swim."

"If I carry you across," said the frog, "you will sting me and I will die."

"I wouldn't do a thing like that!  If I sting you, you will become
paralyzed and unable to swim.  Since you will be carrying me on your
back, if you drown I will drown too."

So the frog allowed the scorpion to hop on his back and carry him
across the river.  When they had gotten to the deepest part, the
scorpion stung the frog.  With anguish in his eyes, the frog turned
to the scorpion and said, through the paralysis that was beginning
to drag him down,

"Why did you do this?  We could have both lived and now we're both
going to die!  Why??!"

The scorpion replied:  "This is the Middle East."