Viper

Translation Notice

This article is a work of fiction originally written in Italian. It has been automatically translated to English using an AI tool. The rhythmic and narrative qualities may differ from the original.

There was an old farmer who loved the land. He loved cultivating it and nourishing himself with the fruits that the land patiently gave him. One day, while walking among the peach trees looking for some tranquility, he saw a viper. He recognized it immediately by its menacing eyes and the typical shape of its head. The animal was less than a step away from him. Fear terrified him, he didn't know how to behave. He tried to stay as still as possible but, despite this, the snake lunged and attached itself to his leg. The venom ran quickly through his body. He felt the excruciating pain spreading through his muscles. His scream of pain attracted the attention of a passerby, who wasted no time and called an ambulance. At the hospital they tried everything to get the venom out, but it had penetrated too deep. The doctors managed to avoid amputation, but the muscles were now worn out. The old man left the hospital and from that day on he always had to use a cane to walk. A few years later he found himself walking among the peach trees again, it was truly the only place capable of giving him some serenity. After just a few steps he saw a viper again, a few meters from him. He didn't know what to do, terrified in the same situation as a few years before. But suddenly he got an idea, now he had a weapon! He took the cane and struck the viper hard on the head. The latter fled, frightened. The old man was over the moon. He had escaped this time! Now, what's the moral of this whole story? None, just that life sometimes beats you over the head. The old man eventually died a few days later. He was old, what can we do.