Bullfrog

There's a story I heard as a child, 

a parable, and I never forgot it. 

A Bullfrog was hopping along the bank of a river, looking for something rich and tasty to eat.

Suddenly he saw A Scorpion, trying to find a way to cross The River with her brood of babies, all riding on her back

“If you climb up onto MY back, Ma’am,” said the greedy bullfrog, “I can swim swim you, AND your entire family to safety on the far shore.”

The Scorpion, who was a Queen amongst Scorpions,  said, “No. If I do THAT you'll turn, and thrown me off your back and EAT me, midstream — then, not only will I day, but the whole of my race will go extinct amongst the Scorpion nations : You are too GREEDY, you will devour me, all of my children, and any hope of a Future for My People.”

The Bullfrog assured him, “Do You really think I would betray you, know that you would sting me to death, the moment it seemed like I might try….? 

You are an aggressive, venomous beast, who protects Her Young with Deadly Force — known for it, in fact.”

So The Scorpion Queen thought about it, decided that no — the bullfrog would have have to be pretty fucking stupid to be THAT obviously Treacherous, and so finally agreed. 

So The Scorpion climbed up on his back, 

and The Bullfrog began to swim. 

But halfway across The River, 

The Bullfrog was seized by the grip of an insatiable hunger, 

and threw the Scorpion Queen off his back midstream, whereupon 

She instantly lashed out 

and she stung him 

and she stung him 

and she stung him. 

As The Poison filled his veins, 

The Scorpion turned her face to the Bullfrog and said

“See You in HELL, You Greedy, Dissembling Traitor..!! 

Now YOU’RE gonna die TOO…!!”

“I couldn't help it,” said The Bullfrog. 

“I am immune to the lethal effects of Scorpion Venom, and I consume EVERY living creature I can fit inside my mouth, and swallow them all Whole —” 

picking the poor, heartbroken Queens tiny children off her back by the dozen, which his lightning-flash long, sticky tongue, until he had eaten her entire Family, 

along with any future they WOULD 

have had on the far bank of The River —

“It's My Nature.”

he quipped to the desolated 

Widow Queen by way of conclusion, 

and then gobbled her up 

and swallowed her whole.