Kindness is Wasted on Evil

There once was a lone scorpion. He became increasingly bored with his drab environment so he convinced himself its time for a change. He settled on a long journey east. Through mountains and jungles the tiny scorpion ran until he found a river. 'What to do? How can I get to the other side?' Thought the scorpion. He waited until he noticed a frog headed the same direction. 'Perfect!' thought the scorpion.

"Hellooo 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, 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 scorpion got on the frogs back and the frog entered the water and began to swim, being careful as to keep the scorpion above the water. 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. "I could not help myself. I am a scorpion. It is my nature." 

Then they both sank into the muddy waters of the swiftly flowing river.

-Unknown