|
A snake and a
rabbit were racing along a pair of intersecting forest pathways
one day, when they collided at the point where the pathways
meet. They immediately began to argue with one another as to who
was at fault for the mishap. When the snake remarked that he had
been blind since birth, and thus should be given additional
leeway, the rabbit said that he, too, had been blind since
birth. The two animals then forgot about the collision and began
commiserating concerning the problems of being blind. The snake
said that his greatest regret was the loss of his identity. He
had never been able to see his reflection in water, and for that
reason did not know exactly what he looked like, or even what he
was. The rabbit declared that he had the same problem.
Seeing a way that
they could help each other, the rabbit proposed that one feel
the other from head to toe, and then try to describe what the
other animal was. The snake agreed, and started by winding
himself around the rabbit. After a few moments, he announced,
'You've got very soft, fuzzy fur, long ears, big rear feet, and
a little fuzzy ball for a tail. I think that you must be a bunny
rabbit!' The rabbit was much relieved to find his identity, and
proceeded to return the favor to the snake. After feeling about
the snake's body for a few minutes, he asserted, 'Well, you're
scaly, you're slimy, you've got beady little eyes, you squirm
and slither all the time, and you've got a forked tongue. I
think you're a lawyer!'
|
