The Serpent and the Rat

By RSilver - 2 Reviews

On a hot summer day, under a tree’s shade, a serpent and a rat happened to meet up, by chance, to rest.

They sat there for a while, in silence until the

serpent spoke first.

“What are you doing here, rat?”

The rat looked back at the serpent quizzical.

“What do you mean?” The rat replied.

“What are you doing here? I mean out here in the

middle of nowhere?”

“I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

“I mean that you, rat, are known to live off of

human’s food supplies and garbage. I don’t see any

humans here, in the middle of nowhere. So what are you

eating?”

“I’m eating. Don’t worry. I know how to survive.

What about you, serpent? How are you surviving?” The

rat inquired.

“I can eat anything. I don’t need humans to throw me

any food. I can get by very easily. But you, rat, are always

nipping at the heels of mankind. Contaminating the food

with your body hair and your own waste and eating

whatever they have for themselves. Never leaving them

alone. So how did you get out here, by yourself?” The

serpent started hissing.

“I came here to get away from the humans. So as

not to be chased away or killed by mankind, I decided to

leave. Not to worry about every step I take and what’s

waiting for me: poisons, traps, hungry cats or just being

shot at or crushed to death. This place offers me solace.

A place where I can think and relax. But you serpent are

nobody to talk.” The rat said.

“What does that mean?” The serpent hissed.

“You’re nobody to criticize me for what I do. You’ve done a lot worse than me.”

“In what way, rat, have I done worse than chase

after mankind’s food.” The serpent inquired.

“What? You ask? What you did was classic evil. From the

beginning of time. You don’t remember? Let me refresh

your memory. You drove Adam and Eve out of the

Garden of Eden with the forbidden fruit. Or don’t you

remember?” The rat squeaked out.

“Oh, is that what you mean? Let me tell you

something. I didn’t do anything to them that they didn’t

want to do themselves.

They knew what could happen and they still did it. If they

didn’t want to, there is nothing I could do to make them

eat of the forbidden fruit. I just let them know of it.” The

serpent was very coy about his answer.

“That’s not how history sees it. You were very

deceitful, pushy even. That’s your nature, mankind

knows that about you and that will never change.” The

rat spoke from a spiritual place.

“Oh yea. If I’m so evil, how did I get into this

Garden of Eden. This garden that was so righteous, but

yet had two people who could be easily tempted. No,

mankind must think you are the lesser of us two, the

curse of mankind. Never to leave them alone, always

following after them spreading disease and plagues.

Don’t deny it.” The serpent said as he lifted his body

high.

The rat was taken back by this and didn’t know how

to answer.

The serpent jumped in and added “If you think I’m

so evil to do what I did, why does mankind use me as a

symbol of healing?” The serpent said with pride.

“What are you talking about?” The rat asked.

“I’m on the caduceus, the staff worn by doctors

who heal the sick and dying. Make the lame walk again,

give sight to the blind. All that and more from someone

who’s evil. I think not. I think you, rat, are the problem,

not me.”

“You want to go there, huh? You think a little symbol

worn by a doctor gets you out of trouble. Well, let me tell

you. I’m more useful then you’ll ever be to the medical

world. They wear you on their label but they use me for

more important things like medical experiments that

really help mankind. New medicines that can cure the ill

and stop people from becoming lame. That’s what I’m

better at then you. You’re just a symbol, I’m a reality in

the medical world. How do you like that, serpent?” The

rat demanded to know.

And now the cycle comes full circle when the

serpent was outraged by the rat that the serpent ate the

rat. Thus the sins of mankind overtake the curse of

mankind.

Author Notes: This is a story to make you think about how we look at some very simple and complex understanding of life

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