The Lizard and the Hot Sand

A proud and boastful Lizard declared he was the toughest of all the desert creatures. "I am not afraid of the sun!" he claimed. "I can walk on the hottest sand at midday!" The other animals, who all sought shelter during the intense heat, warned him against such foolishness. But the Lizard would not listen. To prove his point, he walked out into the middle of the sandy plains at high noon. The sand was scorching hot, like the coals of a fire. The Lizard, too proud to turn back, found the pain unbearable. He began to lift his feet as high as he could, alternating them rapidly to keep them from burning, and doing a strange sort of push-up with his body to keep his belly off the sand. He looked utterly ridiculous. He had not proven his toughness, only his foolishness. And to this day, lizards can be seen performing this same strange "dance" on hot surfaces—a permanent reminder of the day a proud ancestor was humbled by the power of the sun.