Snake tales

Of course in places where electricity is limited and TV does not yet control life, there are many alternative means of entertainment. One of these is the telling of stories. Today the topic was snakes.

There is a kind of rattlesnake that can be deadly poisonous, causing bleeding. It is the most beautiful snake, they say, having blue and white rings. They say its tail stinks and it attracts flies which it then catches and eats. The tail makes a noise. One way to kill this snake is to tie a lit cigarette on the end of a long pole. Touch the cigarette to its tail and it will then bite itself (and presumably die from its own bite?)

There is also a black snake which is perhaps even more feared. It can be 3 meters long or more and is poisonous. What makes it scarey is that unlike other snakes, it doesn’t move away when people come across it, instead it is aggressive and will come after you.

The most, uh, incredible snake is the one that supposedly turns into a chicken or a bird when you come close to it. So you don’t really ever see it. In fact, the teller of the story admitted that he hadn’t heard of anyone who had ever actually seen this type of snake. But he still believes it really exists.