Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1893-09-13
4 Snake Story.

ty, Pa, man, "who lived back in the High
Knob country, captured young black
snake once and made pet of it,
The snake got as tame as kitten and
had the run of the premises. One day
he got egg hungry, and he stole an egg
from under sitting hen and swallowed
it. The egg was just on the eve of
Matching. and the chick picked its way
out of the egg as it lay inside the snake,
, and not finding daylight yet kept ON
picking until it had picked hole through
the snake and stuck its head out. That
was as far as it could get, and there 1t
stuck. The snake didn't like it at first,
but by and by the novelty of the sltua-
ton seemed to strike him, and he grew
proud of that strange living protuberance.
NY friend didn't interfere, curious to see
what the result of that singular compan-
ionship would be. The chicken and the
snake grew very fond of one another, and
! it was worth farm to see 'em 60 to sleep
together, the snake turning its head back
and smuggling down by the chickens
head. The snake kept the chick we'll
supplied with food, catching flies and
worms and insects of various kinds, and
passing them back to the chicken by the
hundred. The chicken grew like weed,
and along toward the end Of summer the
blacksnake's body was pouched out like
a small hand satchel where the chicken
was spreading out, and the latters 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.
"One day along in August the snake
and his friend were taking nap. Pres
emily the chicken woke up, stretched his
neck to its full length, and got rid of its
first crow. The first crow of young
rooster. even when he has the aid that
seems to be in the Topping Of his incipient
wings, is always heartrendiDg perform
ance; 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 settled
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
ewes full of terror, and sailed around the
yard as if he were fving from an avenger.
He came to a stop by and by, but glared
wildly and painted like hot dog. The
chicken seemed to enjoy the performance
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 a look on the chicken that was
terrible in its 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.
"The snake struck at the chicken S
head, but missed it. The chicken got
mad and clipped the snake in the head
with his bill. And then it went. They
tumbIed and fought around that yard for
five minutes. Then they suddenly be
came quiet. The snake had got the
chickens head in his mouth and swallow
ed it, neck and all. He had killed his
friend, but had choked himself to death
in doing it"