If we hear ‘Snake!’ muttered aloud, a sense of panic sets in. That ‘fight or flight’ response is activated, in a way quite unlike any other.
Luckily for us, Reality is not the only place we find those snakes. They can be found in our Imaginations, too. For the purposes of this article, in the form of a wonderful Story with a Moral Lesson for Kids!
The Farmer and Snake Story you will find here, is a simple tale of a Deadly Snake and a Good Farmer.. We are sure that this story of The Farmer and the Snake, will impart a valuable lesson to you as well, leave alone your child. Eager to know what that lesson might be? Read the Farmer and Snake Story beneath, to find out!
Table of Contents:
- The Farmer and Snake Story: The Origin
- The Farmer and The Snake: The Story
- The Moral of the Farmer and Snake Story
- The Farmer and the Snake Story: Key Takeaways for KIds
The Farmer and Snake Story: The Origin
While there are several variants of this classic ‘all-time fable’, it is widely believed that the legendary Greek storyteller ‘Aesop’, first wrote this wonderful tale.
Note: This story is believed to be part of the larger collection of Aesop’s stories, collectively titled ‘Aesop’s Fables.’ Ring a bell? Most of us adults have certainly heard a tale or two from this repertoire, when we were children ourselves!
The Farmer and The Snake: The Story
Once upon a time, there lived in a village a hardworking farmer. He was known amongst all the village people for his honesty, and the fact that he was always there to extend a helping hand to those who needed it. He made a modest living for his family by harvesting crops in a tiny field outside the village, and selling them for profit.
One day, when the sun was barely up and most of the village people asleep, the farmer ventured out to his field to work. On the way, he noticed a poisonous snake near a bush, lying stiff on the ground. It seemed as though the cold had gotten to it, and that if nothing were done to save him, it would die soon.
The good farmer felt sorry for the deadly snake, and couldn’t stop himself from trying to help it. Knowing that it was the biting cold that had got to the snake, he picked it up and proceeded to warm it in his bosom. Some time passed, and gradually the snake started writhing in his bosom, seemingly revived and able to move on.
In only a few moments, the snake was fully rejuvenated. It suddenly realized that there was a man holding him tight, and that was all it took for it to sink its fangs into the poor farmer! Rather than realizing that the farmer had helped save his life, he succumbed to his primal instinct.
Within minutes, the poison was coursing through the farmer’s veins, slowly sending him to his death. As the farmer breathed his last, surrounded by some village people, he reflected on what he had done. Why had he saved the deadly snake?Just so it could bite him and end his life? Just before he died, he told the village people, ‘Even if you save a snake’s life, it will always stay true to its nature and bite you!’
The Moral of the Farmer and Snake Story
Needless to say, there’s an important lesson that we can learn from this precious fable:
‘Never take pity on a toxic person. They will always turn around and hurt you, even if you have helped them when they are at their weakest.’
Needless to say, the ‘toxic person’ in this story is the deadly ‘snake’. Human beings might not be literally ‘poisonous’, but they can harm us in ways that are equally destructive.
The Farmer and the Snake Story: Key Takeaways for Kids
Our children are innocent beings, who have no idea of the big bad world out there. The onus lies on us parents, to teach them to help only those people who ‘truly deserve to be helped’.
When children garner a decent understanding of ‘good’ and ‘bad’, they will learn to distinguish between good and bad people, too. By implementing this lesson and not helping ‘bad’ or ‘toxic’ people, they will save themselves from getting ‘betrayed’.
The very mention of the title of this tale is enough to get your child’s attention. Nevertheless, after they hear this tale out in its entirety, they will learn that snakes are found not only in jungles, but in our everyday lives, too. Get your children to protect themselves from all the Toxic people out there. Tell them the Farmer and Snake Story today!
References:
- Read.gov
- Josh McDowell
https://read.gov/aesop/094.html
