The Second Thread

Yesterday, I posted a message about Two Wolves. That was the first thread of three that I am going to post, as I braid together a series of concepts that will, in the end, create a unified survival principle.

The fun part is that you get to read these three little stories and think about them for a while. Try to conjure what they have to do with survival.

And so, here is the second thread. This one I take from Aesop.

It was bitterly cold as the farmer climbed the path to the high hills to check on his livestock. A rattlesnake lay across the path, nearly frozen.

“Please,” begged the snake, “take me down where it is warmer. Or I shall surely freeze to death.”

“I don’t think so,” said the Farmer. “I would be a fool to trust you.”

But the snake pleaded. “If you will do this thing, I promise that I will not hurt you.”

Having compassion upon the snake, the farmer picked him up and carried him down into the valley and laid him down upon the ground. As the snake warmed up, he wiggled and stretched. He coiled himself up and struck the farmer.

“Why did you bite me?” cried the farmer. “You gave me your word not to harm me.”

“Ah,” said the snake, “but you knew what I was when you picked me up.”

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Now it's your turn. Consider the story of the Two Wolves and this story of the Farmer and the Snake, and see if you can discover the survival principle I'm leading toward. The only clue I'll give right now is that this has absolutely nothing to do with children's stories. It's a very serious concept that can mean the difference between life and death in a survival situation — probably more so in an urban crisis, but under some circumstances also in a wilderness setting. 

The third thread will come soon.