The Collected Writings of Sardonicus

One day there was a good dog, and he becomes mesmerized by a large green snake hanging from a tree while on his way through a dense forest. The dog was young and naive, so he says, "Hello. I'm sorry to be rude, but what are you?"
"I'm a swan," replied the snake.
"A swan? I see. I have heard that swans are renowned for their beauty, and you are indeed a fascinatingly beautiful creature."
The snake blushed. "Thank you. Why don't you come see me tomorrow and we'll talk?" The dog agreed.
That evening, the dog reached his destination and met a old man. "Old man! Old man! Guess what? I met a swan in the forest today hanging from a tree?"
"A swan?" replied the old man. "In the forest? Swans are very rare and don't hang on trees. What color was this "swan"?
"It was a beautiful green."
"That is strange," said the old man. "Adult swans are usually white, not green."
"Well, it had a leathery hide."
"That is also strange. Swans should have feathers."
The dog became frustrated. "But it had a beautiful, slender, long body with out any limbs. Surely something so mesmerizingly beautiful must be a swan."
The Old man recognized the description. "My dear dog! I'm sorry to tell you that what you saw was not a swan at all. It was a snake!"
"No, I refuse to believe you. Why would it lie to me? Even if it doesn't look or act like a swan, it must be one. I shall see it again tomorrow and as often as I can." And he did.

The End

What do I think? The dog's a fool. The snake? Perhaps it doesn't know that it's a snake. Or it has desperately convinced itself it's a swan. Regardless, it's either a liar or delusional.

Am I a fool?

This won't win the Nobel Prize for Literature, huh?