The Scorpion and the Turtle

by: Rosi Efthim

Tue Jul 05, 2011 at 11:04:52 AM EDT

"Oh, no, no, no, I'm smarter than that!" said the turtle. "You'd sting me!"

"That's ridiculous," laughed the scorpion. "If I stung you, I'd go down, too! Right?"

Convinced, the turtle invited the scorpion to climb on his mighty back, and paddled him across the river. Just before they reached the other shore, the scorpion slithered off to dry ground, and turned around and gave the turtle a vigorous and fatal sting.

The turtle, sinking to the river bottom, cried "You rotten bastard. You prick! I want to punch you in your head!"

The scorpion gave a shrug, and said: "You knew what I was when you met me."

And just as the turtle slipped under the water, he heard snickers coming from under the rocks and up in the trees. It was all captured on YouTube.