Accountability

  Even today Red Indian boys go away into solitude to prepare for manhood. One such youth decided to test

himself against a tall mountain. He threw his blanket over his shoulder and set off to climb the peak. When he reached the top, he stood in the rim of the world. His heart swelled with pride. Then he heard a rustle at his feet, and looking down, he saw a rattlesnake. Before he could move, the snake spoke, "I'm starving and freezing to death up here. Put me under your shirt and take me down to the valley."
  "No," said the youth. "I have been warned about you rattlesnakes. If I