The Frog And The Scorpion

You know the tale.  The scorpion wants to  get across the pond, but he can't swim.  He sees a frog and asks for a ride.  "Are you crazy?" replies the frog.  "One sting from you and I'll be dead."

"Hey froggy, use your brain.  If I sting you, you'll die.  But if you die, you'll slip under the water and so will I.  I'll drown.  Do you think I want to die?  Why would I sting you?"

The frog has a big heart.  The scorpion makes sense.  He takes the scorpion on this back and starts swimming.  Half way across the pond, the scorpion stings the frog.  The frog dies and the scorpion drowns.  

So why did the scorpion sting the frog?   The conventional answer is, "That's the middle east."

The true answer is that these creatures are both very religious.  The frog's god tells him to be kind to all creatures.  The scorpion's god tells him worshippers of other gods should be killed.  If the scorpion dies killing a frog, it will be to his credit and he will promptly go to scorpion heaven - a far better place than the sandy patch he now lives in.

So now you know the real answer.  Never give a deeply religious scorpion a free ride.