Prevod

A traveler journeying in winter saw a viper dying of the cold. Taking pity on it, he picked it up and tucked it into his bosom, trying to warm it. As long as the cold held it in its grip, the viper lay still; but once it had warmed up and revived, it bit him in the belly. As he lay dying, the traveler said, “I have only got what I deserve. Why did I save this creature from death, when I ought to have killed it even if it had been strong and healthy?” The fable shows that wickedness, when treated kindly, not only fails to repay the kindness but gains fresh strength to turn against its benefactors.