The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-28
SNAKES FOND OF CHILDREN.
Instances OF This characteristic Taken
From Life In the Australian Bush.

| From Life In the Australian Bush.
have found that children in the busl
show very little fear Of snakes. The bigge
the snake the greater the Joy Of getting
near 1t and the stronger the desire to pla!
with it. The snakes bright eyes and sin
uous motion probably charm. And snakes
even the most vicious, respect the CON
fidenoe, says Chambers's Journal I lay'
known numbers OF cases in which they
return it with what must be called affection
A snake that will wiggle away from al
adult will placidly survey a child and wait
for encoura cement to approach.
Here is an instance to my hand. We al
knew there was snake in the house
Glimpses OF it had been caught on three
in getting under cover. Bush houses ir
Australia are roughly put together. anc
odds and encs Of various sorts are Uttered
about, with o .casio nal heavy articles against
the walls. To move the heavy things Ia
somewhat dangerous unless the light il
good and an experienced bushnan be Of
the party. The usual plan is to watch
and wait. The sides Of the cottage were
built Of round timber. and there was a
likelihood on each occasion that this par
ticular snake had wrigsled through and
out.
Minnie, child OF three, was more viva
cious than usual next morning. She sat
on an opossum rug on the floor Of the room
adjoining the breakfast room, where most
of the family were collect ed. Her chatter
ing excited comment. Stay" whispered
her father; sonnet hing strikes me. She's
talking to sonnet hing, and bet it's the
SNAKE
With his riding whip in his band he
stepped softly to the open door and peeped
lap and was being fed with little ships
of a square Of lump sugar.
1t was black snake Of a dangerous size.
If alarmed it might wciously attack the
Of Escape, and whispered p to his wife to
call Minnie. The child moved at the call.
and the snake drew back and made a
sudden dive. toward a chest Of drawers
at the opposite wall. That was what was
friend sPa Of the a P ,R UP u did e sss rest
similar kind. At Koondrook, little settle
ment in Victoria, woman heard her child.
10 months old, laughing. as II she were hav-
ing great fun. The child was supposed
to be asleep in bed. The mother went to
the room and found the child scramblipg
not see.
That happened several times. Once.
however. the mother went in suddenly
and heard something drop of the bed.
tincty saw a large snake that turned
upon her with evident intention to fight.
VII the husband came home he pulled
up the boards Of the floor. b there was
no sign Of the snake. Next day, however.
snake and child were discovered lying
fhA no
and the snake apparently So That night
the husband tried plan. he placed
candle on the floor alongside OF the child,
and asked the wife to play slow air on
the harmonium. Movements Of the snake
could be heard. but the rustic was all he
vouchsafed.
Next night the child was similarly posted,
and the mother tried the effect Of working
her sewing machine. The sound was too
tempting. The snake wriggled to the child
with alacrity. and was promptly despatched
five feet in length, and when killed was
fondled by the child as an old pet
We never hear in the bush Of snake Bit
ing young child On the other hand, num-
bers Of cases are recounted 10 which mothers
and discovered second later that a snake
was underneath the child The snatching
up OF the child released the snake, and in
variably the trouble ended there;
A governess in charge OF child was fond
Of sitting among the rocks at the seashore;;
so long as tie child played about without
ma king noise. At last, perhaps she had
finished her book, 1t struck her as strange
that at that particula place among the
rocks the child was always preterna turally
projecting boulder, behind which che knew
the child had crawled. The child was
motionless on hands and knees, and was
staring at some small object beside tuft
of withered grass.
eral seconds. Gradually she made out two
beadlike eyes, like little points of fire,
and with further inspection was able to de-
fine the small head of snake, similar in color
to the withered grass. A hole ran under
the rock, and the snakes head alone pro-
dilated, but in other respects it was half
asleep. This would help the ella inns of those
who endow snakes with power to fascinate
birds. But there is nothing to indicate
that the snake in question meant injury to
the child.
4 bush clergyman visited me on one occa-
sion, and, dismounting, threw his saddle
bag on the veranda- The flap fell open and
a green whip snake popped out. rthappened
that there was no weapon handy, and the
snake disappeared under the house. The
e e that the snake must s have been in
his bag during his last ten mile ride. and
reflected that he had put his hand in several
times for one article or another. He care
fully examined his right hand for marks of
fangs, and became reassured when not
single scratch could be discovered.
We kept a sharp lookout for some days
for the snake, and renewed acquaintance
with 1t under singular circumst ances.
Minnie, the child previously alluded to- was
overheard giving sonnet hing like words OF
command near the stump Of an old iron
bark tree a little way from the end OF the
house. On stealt billy approaching I was
thunder truck. beckoned to other mem
bers of the family to tip-toe to me. II
was no optical illusion. There, in real fact
was green whip snake dancing before the
child
The inference was, Of course, that it was
the clergyman's whip snake. Its motions
were most grotesaue, it's head lolling from
side to side and occasionally shooting
straight up. It evidently danced for the
ent ert ainment Of the child, and responded
with alacrity to her words. The spell was
broken by the incautious movement OF one
Of our party; but though the snake made OF
it was pursued and despat ched-
1t is right should complete this some
what astounding narrative by adding that
the clergyman on his next visit complained
of having been made the victim Of prac-
teal joke on the previous occasion. The
hotel people had placed In his saddle bag
a sh owman's performing snake. not at all
and altogether too valuable for
the fate that befell it.
Rut whep a snake Ia pleased or desires