A man was hiking up in the mountains when he came across a rattle snake laying in the pathway, nearly frozen to death, almost motionless. The rattle snake said to the man, "Oh please pick me up and bring down to the base of the mountain with you, where I can warm up and go about my business."

The man answered, "You're a rattle snake, I'm not going to pick you up and bring you anywhere. You'll bite me!"

To which the snake answered, "Oh look at me, I'm so cold I can hardly move. I couldn't possibly bite you. Besides, if you help me out, I'll be your friend and would never do anything to hurt a friend."

So the man was convinced. He picked up the snake, and carried him down the mountain in his coat pocket. As they descended to the base of the mountain the air temperature rose, and the sun warmed up the man and the snake.

When they arrived at the bottom, the man reached inside his pocket and placed the rattlesnake on the ground, and when he did, the snake bit him.

"I thought you said you wouldn't bite me," the man complained to the rattlesnake, to which the snake replied, "Look, don't complain to me! You knew what I was when you put me in your pocket."