The Crow and the Snake

096. THE CROW AND THE SNAKE. A hungry Crow spied a Snake lying asleep in a sunny spot, and, picking it up in his claws, he was carrying it off to a place where he could make a meal of it without being disturbed, when the Snake reared its head and bit him. It was a poisonous Snake, and the bite was fatal, and the dying Crow said, "What a cruel fate is mine! I thought I had made a lucky find, and it has cost me my life!" (V. S. Vernon-Jones) [more info]

The Raven and Serpent

194. THE RAVEN AND SERPENT. A hungry raven, flying about in quest of his prey, saw a serpent basking himself upon the side of a sunny bank: down he soused upon him, and seized him with his horny beak, in order to devour him: but the serpent, writhing to and fro with the pain, bit the raven again with his venomous teeth to such a degree that he could not survive it. The raven, in the agonies of death, is said to have confessed that this judgment happened to him justly, since he had attempted to satisfy his craving appetite at the expense of another's welfare. [more info]