The Crying Game - The Fable of the Scorpion and the Frog

The Scorpion and the Frog...A scorpion wants to cross a river, but he can't swim. Goes to the frog, who can, and asks for a ride. Frog says, 'If I give you a ride on my back, you'll go and sting me.' Scorpion replies, 'It would not be in my interest to sting you since as I'll be on your back, we both would drown.' Frog thinks about this logic for a while and accepts the deal. Takes the scorpion on his back. Braves the waters. Halfway over feels a burning spear in his side and realizes the scorpion has stung him after all. And as they both sink beneath the waves, the frog cries out, 'Why did you sting me, Mr. Scorpion, for now we both will drown?' Scorpion replies, 'I can't help it, it's in my nature.'

(A reprise of the Scorpion and Frog fable occurred in the film's final lines, after Fergus was arrested and serving time in jail in place of his new lover Dil (Jaye Davidson), who had killed Jude (Miranda Richardson). As Fergus was visited in jail, Dil asked why Fergus had taken the rap for him ("I wish you'd tell me why"). Fergus replied (to the tune of "Stand By Your Man")):

As a man said, it's in my nature...Well, there's this scorpion, you see. And he wants to go across a river. Well, he can't swim. So he goes to this frog, who naturally enough can swim, and he says, 'Excuse me, Mr. Froggy. I want to go across the river'...