# The Labourer and the Snake explained — Aesop's Fables

> Chapter companion for Aesop's Fables by Aesop.

## What happens

A labourer's son is killed by a snake. In his grief and rage, the labourer tries to kill the snake but only cuts off its tail. When he later feigns reconciliation, the snake refuses, pointing out that the injuries each has caused make friendship impossible.

## Themes in this chapter

### Justice and Consequence

The labourer's attempt at revenge leads only to a partial injury, and the snake's refusal to forgive highlights the lasting consequences of harm.

### Human Nature and Vice

The labourer's grief turns to rage and a desire for vengeance, while the snake's response underscores the human tendency to hold grudges.

## Character check-ins

### The Snake

Bites and kills the labourer's son, then refuses reconciliation after losing its tail.

### The Farmer

Grief-stricken father who seeks revenge on the snake but fails to kill it.

## Key lines

> I can never be your friend because of my lost tail, nor you mine because of your lost child.

The snake declares that the injuries each has suffered make friendship impossible.

_The moral of the fable: past wrongs cannot be undone and poison future relations._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fables_se/chapters/the-labourer-and-the-snake
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fables_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fables_se/chapters