On the Killing of a Snake

Many tales I could tell, and do, of the snakes we've killed. There was the two in the chicken house the three under the bathtub, the one in the shower, the three or four in Cameroon, the ones in the garden, on the road, and so on. But really, all snake killings are the same. You spot the snake. The hue and cry goes up. People come running with brooms, sticks, hoes and rakes. You tell whoever brought the rake that rakes are useless, and that its worse than having brought nothing. You find the snake, kill it with the rake, drape it over the fence, and that is that.

Then for the next week or month or year you tell everybody about that snake you killed. And once your friends, family and nieghbors get tired of hearing about your snake then you sit back and eagerly await the day when you are a grandmother and can tell your grandchildren all about that snake you saw in the chicken yard that one time... and then you get up in the morning to go let the chickens out, and lo and behold, A SNAKE!!!!!!!!!! The hue and cry goes up. People come running with brooms, sticks, hoes and rakes. You tell whoever brought the rake that rakes are useless, and that its worse than having brought nothing. You find the snake, kill it with the rake........

Tags: Countryside, Snake, Chickens