The Tupelo journal., 1910-11-11
A Willy ORIENTAL
Guile Of a Tricky Native Snake
Charmer In India. j,
GATHERED IN THE sERPENTs.

1t Was No Trouble to Him to Lure TIL
Reptiles Into HE Basket, and Thu
Supply Was In No Danger Of Giving
Out and Losing Him q Job.
Among the numerous Objectionable
and dangerous creatures peculiar to
the orient lone is more repulsive than
the snake. One shudders involuntarfly
as-one thinks Of its wiggling body n
vicious characteristics. During my
! residence in India I never felt saIe
from its presence. l had my ciosets,
bed and even my bathtub searched ev-
CRY day lest one should be foundc oiied
mn h, some corner. writes Eliza *.
Van Bergen in the Christian Intelli-
gencer.
was always on the watch for the
treading on one. 1t never occurred to
me to sleep without a light. and a
stick was always near at hand lest |
might find n W and be un-
} prepared TO meet it. I even looked
upon my thin mosquito curtain as a
slight protection, for 1t would at least
break its fall should a snake tumble
down suddenly from the ceiling.
The creatures have a decided pref
erence for cool, damp places and often
choose the bathroom and sometimes
the tub for their habitation, much to
the discomfort Of its rightful habitue.
1t is mo- unalloyed bliss to live in a
place infested with serpents. With
<lch formidable enemies, one never
forgets to be cautions, nor to guard
against their presence and sudden at
tack. 1t makes one alert to be in the
midst of danger and adds spice to life.
Well. as | started out to say, my
garden was infested with snakes, and
/ was persuaded to have a native
charmer summoned to lure them
away. His hideous occupation. weird
lamentations and strange pets sur
round the snake charmer with a pc
culiar fascination. His magnetism
and skill are considered phenomenal
in the. east.
This specimen was tall and lank and
had deep. cavernous eyes and an alb
stracted air. Some of the creatures
were coiled around his wrist. which
made him still mere repellant. He
handled them as if they were per-
fectly harmless. About the neck he
wore a Chain with a flute attached.
Two other jugglers accompanied him,
similarly attired. but minus the
snakes. One carried a closed basket
on his arm.
He stopped at a respectful distance
to make his 'salaam." which is the
customary salute Of the country. Then
he approached tine aloe hedge which
inclosed my grounds. squatted himself
' tailor fashion on the grass and began
to produce weird. plaintiye sounds on
the flute. to which music the reptiles
entwincd themselves around him and
seemed to sway their bodies to inc
fro.
AFTER Some time a snake appeared.
gliding slowly and stealthily out from
the hedge toward the spot where it
heard the enchanting music. The
charmer allowed it to come quite
close and ITO wind itself around his
arm. Another followed and yet an
other. while the other two mel stood
by holding a basket ready to receive
them as Soon as they unwound them
selves. At least n half dozen APP
peared and were disposed of in this
manner. After being captured they
appeared as III I'm a stupor.
Mortified with his performance, I
begged him toy stop and babe him
leave the plaae. He assented and.
picking up the basket. departed with
the snakes WITHOUT ever ceasing to
play his uncannyi tune. His compan-
ions gathered up, the rest of his be-
longings and followed him. l paid a
certain sum for each snake thus dis
patched.
He came repeatedly thereafter and
went through the same performance.
%conjuring up more reptiles and dispos-
ing of them in the same way until !
began to suspect some trickery. He
refused to allow the snakes to be kill
ed. insisting that they were sacred and
must not be put 70 death. 1t looked
as if he replaced the snakes in the
hedge after removing them. and thus
he multiplied their number and in
creased his gains.
was finally forced to have him re-
moved by the police and threatened
with punishment liz order to keep him
away. Nothing would persuade me to
permit one of the fellows to enter my
premises again.