The Boy and the Rattlesnake

Long ago a 10 year old boy was at the top of a mountain. He thought he was alone, but a voice called out to him "Please help me. I am very cold. If you don't pick me up and carry me down the mountain where it's warmer, I will die."

The boy saw that it was a rattlesnake talking to him. The boy did not get scared, but said to the snake, "I can't pick you up. You are dangerous and could kill me." The rattlesnake asked, "Why would I want to hurt someone who helps me?" The boy replied, "My grandfather is wise. He told me never to touch a rattlesnake."

The boy and the rattlesnake argued for a long time. The rattlesnake told the boy, "Just carry me a little way. I won't hurt you." The boy felt pressure because the snake kept asking him to pick him up. The boy finally gave in and picked up the snake. Halfway down the mountain the rattlesnake said to the boy, "This is kind of you, but I am still cold. Please put me inside your coat to keep me warm." Because the rattlesnake had not hurt the boy yet, he put it inside his coat to keep it warm.

At the bottom of the mountain the boy felt something bite him and he was surprised. "Why did you do that?" the boy asked the rattlesnake. The snake replied, "You knew what I was before you picked me up. You knew that I had the power to hurt or even kill you. It is in my nature to harm. That's what rattlesnakes do."

This story is told by the Indian tribes in the Southwest. There are many lessons to be learned but one of the most important is that giving in to pressure can hurt you. Always do what you know is right.