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The Scorpion and the Frog.

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Sir Brian:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scorpion_and_the_Frog

For those of you unfamiliar with this ancient metaphorical story about a Scorpion and a Frog in which the Scorpion asks a frog to carry him across a river and the Frog naturally being dubious of the Scorpion’s poisoned stinger refuses but finally relents and agrees to carry the scorpion across the river after the Scorpion reassures the frog with the reasoning that should the scorpion sting the frog then the frog would sink and the scorpion would then drown therefore causing both of them to die. Yet when the frog had carried the scorpion halfway across the river the scorpion stings the frog and explains before they both die that he was only acting in accordance with his nature.

IMO we as adherents of the chivalric code have the duty and responsibility to always be watchful of the human scorpions of this world. Regrettably far too many frogs allow themselves to be cajoled into believing these scorpions time and time again thus allowing them to poison the very psyche of society until the scorpion’s twisted and narcissistic perspective becomes the accepted norm. We should be as vigilant turtles that happen to be in the vicinity whenever a scorpion attempts to cajole a frog for conveyance and intercede on the frog’s behalf to ensure the scorpion understands that we turtles will not allow the scorpion to proliferate so easily and they risk suffering our wrath whenever they succumb to the temptation of following their ‘natural’ inclinations…OR we could simply draw steel and expeditiously dispatch them…allegorically speaking of course!  ;)

Sir Patrick:
Agreed!  The scorpions should beware of our nature!

Sir Wolf:
i think i would have to have killed me a turtle and used his shell to carry the scorpion first.

Sir James A:
The version I usually hear has the scorpion stinging the frog as they reach the other side, so that the scorpion doesn't die (and presumably free to continue tricking and killing more frogs). The main theme being "You knew what I was when you took me". It's very similar to the story of the rattlesnake, as (re)told by Iron Eyes Cody:

http://www.wscribe.com/parables/snake.html

Both are said to be allegorical to drugs and/or alcohol as well; the victim feels "safe" after reassurance of the snake/scorpion that "it won't hurt me", and the "you knew what I was" when bad things happen.

Sir Edward:

Yeah, I've always heard it as happening half-way, so they both die. It makes a statement about how sometimes one's nature is self destructive, and not just purely self-serving. But both stories have essentially the same lesson- beware of smooth-talking scorpions!

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