You Knew What I Was When You Picked Me Up
This is a subtitle for your new post
Iron Eyes used to relate an old Indian legend about a young lad who ignored the censor’s voice within him.
“Many years ago, Indian youths would go away in solitude to prepare for manhood. One such youth hiked into a beautiful valley, green with trees, bright with flowers. There he fasted. But on the third day, as he looked up at the surrounding mountains, he noticed one tall, rugged peak, capped with dazzling snow.
“I will test myself against that mountain, he thought. He put on his buffalo-hide shirt, threw his blanket over his shoulders, and set off to climb the peak.
“When he reached the top he stood on the rim of the world. He could see forever, and his heart swelled with pride. Then he heard a rustle at his feet, and looking down, he saw a snake. Before he could move, the snake spoke:
“‘I am about to die,’ said the snake. ‘It is too cold for me up here and I am freezing. There is no food and I am starving. Put me under your shirt and take me down the valley.’
“‘No,’ said the youth. ‘I am forewarned. I know your kind. You are a rattlesnake. If I pick you up, you will bite, and your bite will kill me.’
“‘Not so,’ said the snake. ‘I will treat you differently. If you do this for me, you will be special. I will not harm you.’
“The youth resisted awhile, but this was a very persuasive snake with beautiful markings. At last the youth tucked it under his shirt and carried it down to the valley. There he laid it gently on the grass, when suddenly the snake coiled, rattled, and leapt, biting him on the leg.
“‘But you promised—’ cried the youth.
“‘You knew what I was when you picked me up,’ said the snake as it slithered away.
“And now, wherever I go,” says Iron Eyes, “I tell that story. I tell it especially to the young people of this nation who might be tempted by drugs. I want them to remember the words of the snake: You knew what I was when you picked me up.”
Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Living (New York, NY: Open Road Media, 2015).
