That's All Folks

(Page 3 of 3)

November/December 1990
BY DOUG ELLIOTT  
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

What now? Surgery? How would I cut it open? How could I sew it back up? My mind raced.

RELATED CONTENT

"I have an idea," I said, and started gently squeezing behind the egg. The snake writhed about in my hands, but never attempted to bite. Could it be? The egg began to respond to the pressure. It was moving! Soon Yanna pitched in. Cradling the snake in our arms, we kept squeezing behind the egg, forcing it slowly forward inside the snake, inch by inch. As the egg approached the last foot or so, the snake's own peristalsis took over and it continued the process on its own. Still holding the snake, we watched in awe as the lump continued forward toward the neck. The snake's head hung limply forward. Its mouth was open and it drooled viscous saliva while making a soft-toned gagging noise.

Then the snake unhinged its mouth and the egg appeared. The snake gave one final flick of its head and the egg dropped to the ground, completely unchanged after more than two weeks in the serpent's belly.

We put the snake in a cage and gave it water. It was probably hungry, too, having gone for weeks without food. The next day we offered it a fresh warm egg, wondering how it would respond. Would it ever trust an egg again? Soon its tongue started flickering and before long it wrapped its unhinged jaws around the egg and reversed the process of the day before. It swallowed the egg whole. We watched the egg distend the neck as it moved down the snake. But after about six inches, it stopped. The snake flexed its body, making a right angle bend at the egg. Then we heard the muffled yet unmistakable sound of an egg cracking. Suddenly, the lump had vanished.

It's hard to read a snake's expression, but it seemed to say, "Ah-hh . . . now that's the way things are supposed to be."

Order Doug Elliott's most recent book,Woodslore and Wildwood Wisdom,for $10 postpaid from Possum Productions, Rt. t, Box 388, Union Mills, NC 28167.

Page: << Previous 1 | 2 | 3 |
Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

Add Your Comment

Please note that there is currently a problem with the comments function and your comment may or may not post successfully. We are working to correct the problem and thank you for your patience. 

You can use this comment form to enter your personal experiences or additional information and resources that you'd like to share with Mother Earth News readers. Your helpful advice will be posted on this page.  E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Mother Earth News?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Subscribe Today - Pay Now & Save 66% Off the Cover Price

First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here

Lighten the Strain on the Earth and Your Budget

Mother Earth News is the guide to living — as one reader stated — “with little money and abundant happiness.” Every issue is an invaluable guide to leading a more sustainable life, covering ideas from fighting rising energy costs and protecting the environment to avoiding unnecessary spending on processed food. You’ll find tips for slashing heating bills; growing fresh, natural produce at home; and more. Mother Earth News helps you cut costs without sacrificing modern luxuries.

At Mother Earth News, we are dedicated to conserving our planet’s natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. That’s why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $4.95 and get 6 issues of Mother Earth News for only $10.00 (USA only).

You may also use the Bill Me option and pay $14.95 for 6 issues.