Ingratitude Is the World's Reward

Moravia

A peasant in his field once heard a voice calling, "Help me! Help me!" He looked around but saw no one. Finally he discovered that the voice was coming from below, from beneath a large stone. Rolling it onto its side he saw a hole where there was a large snake. It slithered out and was about to tear the peasant to pieces.

"What!" said the peasant. "My reward for having freed you from your prison is be torn to pieces?"

"Didn't you know," replied the snake, "that ingratitude is the world's reward?"

"I do not believe that," said the peasant. "Come, let us go together to a judge who will decide if you have the right to tear me to pieces."

So the went to seek a judge. After going a little way they came to a tree onto which was tied an old horse.

"What are you doing there?" the peasant asked the horse. "Who tied you here?"

"Oh," it said, "my master has gone to fetch a knacker who is to kill me, for I am too old and week to pull the plow and other loads. When I was young and strong, my master had only praise for me, but now he has no use for me, and thus I will have to die."

"You see, peasant," said the snake, "there you have proof that ingratitude is the world's reward. Now I am going to tear you to pieces."

"No," said the peasant. "Let us go to another judge."

So they went further. A dog came ran up to them and sought the peasant's protection against his master, who was about to shoot him. He had now grown unable to watch over the house, and he told the peasant that his master had held him dearly when he was young and could watch over the house and the yard, but now that he was old and weak, he had acquired another dog and wanted to shoot him.

"There you have the second proof that ingratitude is the world's reward," said the snake. "You must admit that I have the right to tear you apart."

But the peasant did not want to admit this, and while they were arguing about it, a fox came their way and asked why they were quarreling.

"Wait," thought the peasant. "The fox is very sly. He could be our judge."

He explained the case to him, who then took the peasant aside and said to him, "If you will promise me two roosters then I'll free you from the snake."

"They will be yours," said the peasant.

"Now," said the fox, "if I am to be your judge then I must see the hole where the snake was caught. I cannot make a judgment until I have seen it."

So they turned around and went back to the hole. Upon seeing it, the fox said, "What? Such a large snake was caught in this small hole? I do not believe it. It is entirely impossible! First you must convince me that there is room for you there. Snake, crawl inside and show me that you really were caught there."

The snake crawled inside, and he had scarcely done so when then fox quickly rolled the stone back in place, capturing him again, however much he cried out "Help me!"

The peasant was very happy and told the fox to come that evening to fetch the roosters. He would leave the back gate to his yard open so he could get in.

The fox came that evening when everyone was eating supper. He found the back gate open and crept inside. But when he neared the chicken coop, the chickens saw him and cried out. The peasant's wife heard the noise, went to see what was wrong, and discovered the fox.

"Wait," she said, "I'll light the way home for you." She ran into the kitchen, picked up a burning piece of wood, ran back to the chicken coop, and hit the fox so long with it until his pelt was all burned up. Crying out, he ran away. When he was halfway out he shouted "Ingratitude is still the world's reward."

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[Daryl Lorette]

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