The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1893-11-17
{ CURIOUS FRIENDSHIP.
How a Snake and a Rooster We're
Wrapt Up in Each Other.
The Attachment Was Harmonious Until
His RoosterIets Found He Could Crow
A Yarn That Would Give Munchau-
sen q Pang of Envy.


''Snakes don't grow very big up our
way," said ex-Sheriff Warren Kalama-
zoo Ridway, of Pike county. Pa, to a
New York Sun man, s'but they. grow
uncommon smart. I've seen 'em do
lots of cute things, the most of which
have kept to myself, because [ have
always been on good terms with my
neighbors, and my business is such that
[ can't afford to have them weaken in
their confidence in me-they, like all
Pike county folks, being simple and
unsophisticated and unable to appre-
ciate the fact that truth is stranger
than fiction. I am getting along in
years, though, and I don't feel like
passing away without putting on rec
ord at least few of the evidences of
genius I have seen in the snakes that
live up our way.
ga friend of mine, who lived back in
the High Knob country, captured a
young blacksnake once and made a
pet of it. The snake got as tame as a
kitten and had the run of the premises.
One day he got egg hungry, and he
and swallowed it. The egg was just
on the eve of Matching, and the chick
picked it's wa out of the egg as it lay
inside the snake, and not finding day
light yet kept on picking until it had
picked a hole through the snake and
stuck it's head out That was as far as
it could get, and there it stuck. The
snake didn't like it at first, but by and
by the novelty of the situation seemed
to strike him, and he grew proud of
that strange living protuberance. My
friend didn't interfere, curious to see
what the result of that singular COM
partnership would be. The chicken and
the snake grew very fond of one an
other, and it was worth farm to see
em go to sleep together, the snake
turning it's head back and smuggling
down by the chickens head. The
snake kept the chick well supplied
with food, catching flies and worms
and insects of various kinds. and pass
ing them back to the chicken by the
hundred. The chicken grew like
weed, and along toward the end of a
summer the blacksnake's body was
pouched out like a small hand satchel
where the chicken was spreading out,
and the latter's neck stretched nearly
six inches above the snakes back. 1t
was the funniest sight you ever saw,
and touching too, the two creatures
dotted on each other so. But their end
was sad.
Zone day along in August the snake
I, Ell 4o1
Presently the chicken woke up,
stretched his neck to its full length,
and got rid of its first crow. The first
crow Of a young rooster, even when he
has the aid that seems to be in the
Topping of his incipient wings. is al
ways heartrending performance, and
as this rooster couldn't use his wings
his first crow was real spooky. The
snake woke up with start. He looked
wildly about. He was scared and no
mistake, but finally made up his mind
that he had been dreaming, and set
tied down to finish his nap. He had
scarcely closed his eyes when the
young rooster, encouraged by his first
attempt, stretched his neck and tried
his voice again. The snake jumped as
much as ten feet, his eyes full of ter
ror, and sailed around the yard as if
he were flying from an avenger. He
came TO stop by and by, but glared
wildly and painted like hot dog. The
chicken seemed to enjoy the perform
ance hugely, and, while the snake was
still trembling, he let go another crow
''Then the snake discovered where
the queer noise was coming from, and
he turned look on the chicken that
was terrible in it's Representatives.
The young rooster would have done
well if he had needed it, but he didn't.
He stretched his neck as high as he
could and crowed again, square in the
snakes face.
1.-THE snake struck at the chickens
head, but missed it. The chicken got
mad and clipped the snake in the head
with his bill. And then it went. They
tumbled and fought around that yard
for five minutes. Then they suddenly
became quiet. The snake had got the
chickens head in his mouth and swal-
lowed it, neck and all. He had killed
his friend, but had chol1ed himself to
death in doing it,