The Scorpion and the Frog

April 14, 2008

Everyone should know the story of the Scorpion and the Frog.

• One day, a scorpion looked around at the mountain where he lived and decided that he wanted a change. So he set out on a journey through the forests and hills. He climbed over rocks and under vines and kept going until he reached a river.
• The river was wide and swift, and the scorpion stopped to reconsider the situation. He couldn’t see any way across. So he ran upriver and then checked downriver, all the while thinking that he might have to turn back.
• Suddenly, he saw a frog sitting in the rushes by the bank of the stream on the other side of the river. He decided to ask the frog for help getting across the stream.
• “Hellooo Mr. Frog!” called the scorpion across the water, “Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your back across the river?”
• “Well now, Mr. Scorpion! How do I know that if I try to help you, you wont try to kill me?” asked the frog hesitantly.
• “Because,” the scorpion replied, “If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for you see I cannot swim!”
• Now this seemed to make sense to the frog. But he asked. “What about when I get close to the bank? You could still try to kill me and get back to the shore!”
• “This is true,” agreed the scorpion, “But then I wouldn’t be able to get to the other side of the river!”
• “Alright then…how do I know you wont just wait till we get to the other side and THEN kill me?” said the frog.
• “Ahh…,” crooned the scorpion, “Because you see, once you’ve taken me to the other side of this river, I will be so grateful for your help, that it would hardly be fair to reward you with death, now would it?!”
• So the frog agreed to take the scorpion across the river. He swam over to the bank and settled himself near the mud to pick up his passenger. The scorpion crawled onto the frog’s back, his sharp claws prickling into the frog’s soft hide, and the frog slid into the river. The muddy water swirled around them, but the frog stayed near the surface so the scorpion would not drown. He kicked strongly through the first half of the stream, his flippers paddling wildly against the current.
• Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog’s back. A deadening numbness began to creep into his limbs.
• “You fool!” croaked the frog, “Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?”
• The scorpion shrugged, and did a little jig on the drownings frog’s back.
• “Because I’am a scorpion”
• Then they both sank into the muddy waters of the swiftly flowing river.

Why do I share with you the story of the scorpion and the frog? I share the story of the scorpion and the frog with you because it has always served a great reminder to myself, that in life you will sometimes be stung for reasons that make no sense to you at all. The story provides an important reminder to be cautious at all times when dealing with situations, and that literally some people in your life do harm to you because they are scorpions.

I’m sharing this with you not because I was recently attacked by a scorpion, but I have been before, and far too many times at that. But I was recently talking with an associate about how hard it is to find great people to work with, I mean really good people, people that you could trust your life to. I’m sure you can think back when you have been stung by a scorpion before.

Whenever you feel uneasy about doing something with someone else due for whatever reason, generally it is a good guideline to go with your gut feeling and not work with that individual. I’m sure many of us have done to many deals with other people who we were first skeptical about doing business with, did it anyways and then have regretted it later on. The worst part about it is we knew it all along, follow your gut instincts, if you feel a bad vibe always remember the story of the scorpion and the frog. Think the opposite of the Nike slogan, just don’t do it.

Again I’m not posting this because something has happened to me, everyone I’m working with is great. But I believe everyone should know the story of the scorpion and the frog. Let the story of the scorpion and the frog be a warning to you, to be careful in dealing with some people which will save you years and years of pain.

What did you think about the story? Is there some more lessons from the story that I missed? Share. I’d like to learn too.