一个农夫在寒冷的冬天里看见一条正在冬眠的蛇，误以为其冻僵了，就把它拾起来，小心翼翼地揣进怀里，用暖热的身体温暖着它。那蛇受了惊吓，被吵醒了。等到它彻底苏醒过来，便因为自卫的本能，用尖利的毒牙狠狠地咬了农夫一口，使他受了致命的创伤。农夫临死的时候痛悔地说：“我欲行善积德，但学识浅薄，结果害了自己，遭到这样的报应。”
寓意
这个故事是说，做人一定要分清善恶，只能把援助之手伸向善良的人。对那些恶人即使仁至义尽，他们的本性也是不会改变的。
在没有知道别人身份，不知道别人心底是否真诚的情况下，不要随意轻信别人，坏人不会因为你的热心而感动。我们应谨慎小心，但不要吝惜给好人的帮助。
简短的：这个故事告诫人们，对恶人千万不能心慈手软。
英文The Farmer and the Snake
ONE winter a farmer found a snake stiff and frozen with cold. He had compassion on it, and taking it up, placed it in his bosom. The snake was quickly revived by the warmth, and resuming its natural instincts, bit its benefactor, inflicting on him a mortal wound. "Oh," cried the farmer with his last breath, "I am rightly served for pitying a scoundrel,
" The greatest kindness will not bind the ungrateful.
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