Evening star., 1948-09-24
This and That
By Charles E. Trdce1Cell

Templeton Jones, nature lover, was going
along his block, thinking what q fine day 1t
was, when suddenly on the sidewalk before him
he saw what he took to be the largest angle
worm he ever had SEEN
Jones ambled over, and stood above the worm
looking down at it with the contemplation of
the true lover of natural things.
That's the biggest one ever saw" he said
to himself, land the strangest color"
At this, the worm" uncoiled itself, indig-
nantly, and got out of the sunny spot in a
hurry.
Jones moved even more unceremoniously
1t was young black snake!
The snake Wriggled across the walk into
barberry hedge.
Jones stamped furously on the walk, not
to kill the creature, but to see if he couldn't
stampede it into coming out again.
This was the first time he had seen a snake
in his 1S years OF residence in his suburban
neighborhood
He sometimes had wondered why he had
not, since when he moved there, the place
was relatively wild.
Wild, at least, in comparison with downtown,
where even hoptoad is unknown.
Hoptoad! What fine old word If words
were made logically, we would have wrggle-
snake, swimfish and f1ybrd and walkman.
Perhaps it is just as well that there is no
logic in words. Just usage.
The baby black snake was about 18 inches
long the size around Of a small little finger
The color was definitely blackish.
These snakes grow TO to 7 feet in length
and as large around as human forearm
They always strike fear to timid persons,
and even to many who are not; they are SO
snake-like
Yet black snakes are not harmful to humans.
Only to rodents and the like, including at
times small chickens of course
The black snake is the farmers friend but
many do not realize it.
The natural desire of most persons to kill
all snakes often results in the destruction of
the black snake.
On chilly fall mornings, these reptiles, large
and small. like to coil up in the sun.
Their cold blood needs a bit of heating
evidently
It is when big one suddenly straightens
out that it makes its most vivid impression on
the average human watcher.
Then it seems all snake and such snake
as legend has told about since the famous fall
IN which Adam and Eve had such major
parts.
The snake tempted them, we ale told. He
no longer seems a very tempting fellow but
perhaps that was the way he was in the begin
. ming. No doubt he was selected for the evil
role because of .the very fact that nobody liked
him, even then.
1t is impossible for any modern to know just
how much of this fear of snakes is real and
how much bred INTO him. Some persons assert
that no child would be afraid of them, if left
to himself. Others honestly may doubt this.
Certainly, the instructive desire of most men
Is to kill any snake, large or small, harmless or
harmful
Black snakes are speedy, good climbers and
fine swimmers. Altogether, all-around athletes.
But they do not devour either rattlesnakes or
copperheads, as is sometimes said, nor do they
roll themselves into hoops, as legend has it.
AS the farmers friend, this snaky looking
snake eats rodents, frogs, toads, birds and their
eggs, and insects.
He does not get many birds, although he can
climb to the nests, In many cases
Templeton Jones thought of all this, while
he was waiting for the little black snake to
come out. But the snake with the wisdom Of
his species, did not appear again.