The Snake and the Blacksmith

In the days of old when there were knights, horses, and small villages lived a blacksmith. Now this blacksmith was very talented in his craft, but no one in the village ever gave him a kind word about it. They were rather quite indifferent to him. The blacksmith in this story only enjoyed two things, which was his work and walking in the forest. One day while walking in the forest, he found a half dead snake. The snake was hungry and in need of some help.

"O' kind sir, I need some help. Would thou give me some aid?" spoke the snake.

The blacksmith was touched by the snake's flattery and so; he took the snake back to his workshop. And there he fed the snake and nursed the snake back to good health. Now this snake gave the blacksmith a lot of flattery such as:

"You are a fine blacksmith."

"You do such wonderful work."

This pleased the blacksmith very much. Although, the villagers paid the blacksmith well, they never did give him a kind word about his work and he wanted to hear some flattering words. As time passed, he and the snake became good friends. Soon the blacksmith started doing things with the snake and ignored his work. After awhile the villagers became quite angry with the blacksmith and so they hired a new blacksmith.

As more time passed the blacksmith had to close shop. Without a shop, the blacksmith asked the snake what are we going to do. And with that the snake bit the blacksmith.

"I thought we were friends," spoke the blacksmith.

"Sir, I am a snake and you forgot that by my good words," laughed the snake.

As the blacksmith lay there dying, he remembered the villagers and how they always paid him for his work, but never did give him any kind words.

And these were his last thoughts before he gave up the ghost, "Money is better than kind words."