Free Carrots at High Cost
Not all is as it seems, and the wise think every step through
The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
Proverbs 14.15
Reuben and Richard Rabbit were roaming the woods one day.
It had been a long day. A hard day. Both rabbits were hungry and home was still a long walk from where they were when they saw a curious sign.
"FREE CARROTS." said the sign, in large, bold letters.
The two rabbits looked at each other.
"That seems odd." Said Richard.
"Free carrots!" Said Reuben.
"But why would there be free carrots in the middle of the woods?" Asked Richard.
But by then, Reuben was already bounding off in the direction the sign had pointed. Sighing, Richard followed on after. The two rabbits chased through the darkening woods, Reuben charging ahead, Richard following after with his head bobbing side to side, constantly looking for danger.
"There, another sign!" shouted Reuben, and bounded off again in another direction.
The sign looked roughly the same as the other when Richard studied it. There in a bold hand was written:
"FREE CARROTS"
He sniffed. There was something… Familiar and threatening in the air. Some smell that seemed a little dangerous. Richard frowned, but Reuben was almost out of sight already and he quickly chased after him.
Soon the two young rabbits came to a third sign.
"FREE CARROTS." Said the sign in big bold type, and underneath it said "perfectly safe for young rabbits".
"Free carrots!" Said Reuben.
"Wait…" said Richard. Something was not right, the smell was stronger here and…
Suddenly Richard's eyes widened.
"That's the path to the Fox's house!" he whispered.
"But the free carrots are there!" shouted Reuben, and bounded off.
Richard thought carefully. There was no way he was charging headlong towards the fox's underground house without knowing that he wasn't around. And why were these signs here? Was the whole thing a trap?
Reuben gave it no thought at all, after all, the signs said free carrots and so he was going to get free carrots. AND the last sign had said it was perfectly safe so what was Richard worried about?
He was thinking exactly that as he charged under the doorway above which hung a fourth sign saying:
"FREE CARROTS DEFINITELY NOT A TRAP."
And he was still thinking it when the door slammed shut behind him and he heard the fox's low chuckle.
Meanwhile, Richard had thought better of it and long since bolted from home.
But nobody ever heard from poor simple Reuben again.