A snake and a rabbit were racing along a pair of
intersecting forest pathways one day, when they collided at the
intersection. 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 the 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
hea
d 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!“
