The Woman and The Snake

Once apon a time, well actually last week, a woman, who was gardening, came apon a snake.

Not smooth and slipperly but dry and parched on dirt that hadn’t seen a drop of rain for a week.

She picked it up and found a cool and shady place, she sprinkle it with water and splashed it on it’s face. She left it lying in a pool and placed a rock beside it to bask apon when it had had its rest.

Next day, still no rain, she went out to hose the flowers and out of that cool shady place slid the snake, who smiled. Surprised that snakes could smile she smiled back and then it spoke;

“why did you help me?” it asked

“you were almost crispy” she replied “of course I had to help”

“But I’m a snake” it said

“And?” she said puzzled

“I thought you wouldn’t trust me not to bite”

“Why would you do that?” she replied

“Because of that poem”

“What poem?”

“The one about the kind hearted woman who got what she deserved by helping a snake”

“got bitten?”

“Yes, after she’d helped it” replied the snake

“But why would it do that?” asked the woman

“Why wouldn’t it?” said the snake

“Well said the woman, when I was little I was told that snakes were slimy and cold and not very nice but I decided to find out for myself so I went to a petting zoo and asked to hold a snake.  It was warm and smooth and it liked being held. It’s handler told me all about snakes, that snakes only bite to kill what they need to eat or to protect themselves and that not all snakes bite anyway.  Snakes don’t eat people they only eat mice and small creatures.  A snake did once bite my father but that was when he walked into the undergrowth to take a pee, he stepped on the snake and peed on it so that was kind of understandable.  My Dad said it was just like a bee sting and that both of them had lived to tell the tale, he didn’t hate the snake”

“I wish the world had never heard that poem” said the snake “now no one trust us and no one wants us around, they fear us for no reason.  It’s put my friends and family in danger.  Some young snakes are now getting angry about it and have started talking about actually biting people”

“That’s crazy” said the woman

"I know" said the snake, "I hope it doesn't happen"

The snake sat down next the woman and shook its head.  The woman looked at the snake and shook her head. 

“Why doesn’t it rain” asked the snake

“Global warming” replied the woman “But that’s a whole other story…….”

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu6_2hFTw74