The Farmer and the Serpent: A Series of Unfortunate Events

Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash

One of the things I inherited from my grandmother was her complete set of the Harvard Classics. Her 1937 version, which I now have, is 51 volumes in length. Volume 17 contains fables by Aesop plus tales by Hans Christian Andersen and the Grimm brothers. 

It's fascinating how relevant and timeless these stories are. This fable by Aesop can be found in Volume 17 of the Harvard Classics, 1937 edition. "The Countryman and the Serpent" is about a farmer whose son accidentally steps on a serpent's tail, which results in a series of unfortunate events for both the farmer and the serpent. Here's the story, followed by a few comments.

The Countryman and the Serpent

A Countryman’s son by accident trod upon a Serpent’s tail, which turned and bit him so that he died. The father in a rage got his axe, and pursuing the Serpent, cut off part of its tail. So the Serpent in revenge began stinging several of the Farmer’s cattle and caused him severe loss. Well, the Farmer thought it best to make it up with the Serpent, and brought food and honey to the mouth of its lair, and said to it: “Let’s forget and forgive; perhaps you were right to punish my son, and take vengeance on my cattle, but surely I was right in trying to revenge him; now that we are both satisfied why should not we be friends again?”

“No, no,” said the Serpent; “take away your gifts; you can never forget the death of your son, nor I the loss of my tail.”

Injuries may be forgiven, but not forgotten.

* * * 

Let's summarize.

• The serpent bites the farmer's son, killing him
• The farmer seeks revenge on the serpent by cutting off part of its tail with an ax
• The serpent retaliates by stinging the farmer's cattle
• The farmer tries to make amends with the serpent by bringing it food and honey, but the serpent refuses
• The serpent says that injuries can be forgiven but not forgotten 

Two thoughts come to mind. 

First: In the land of "an eye for an eye" everyone ends up blind.

Second: When will we see an end to this madness in Gaza? 

What will it take for this tsunami of sorrows to cease?