As he bent his head toward the calla stalks, he happened to disturb a
big black snake, which lay sleeping under them. Grayskin had heard Karr
speak of the poisonous adders that were to be found in the forest. So,
when the snake raised its head, shot out its tongue and hissed at him,
he thought he had encountered an awfully dangerous reptile. He was
terrified and, raising his foot, he struck so hard with his hoof that he
crushed the snake's head. Then, away he ran in hot haste!
As soon as Grayskin had gone, another snake, just as long and as black
as the first, came up from the pool. It crawled over to the dead one,
and licked the poor, crushed-in head.
"Can it be true that you are dead, old Harmless?" hissed the snake. "We
two have lived together so many years; we two have been so happy with
each other, and have fared so well here in the swamp, that we have lived
to be older than all the other water-snakes in the forest! This is the
worst sorrow that could have befallen me!"
The snake was so broken-hearted that his long body writhed as if it had
been wounded. Even the frogs, who lived in constant fear of him, were
sorry for him.
"What a wicked creature he must be to murder a poor water-snake that
cannot defend itself!" hissed the snake. "He certainly deserves a severe
punishment.
Pages:
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337