The Chickens and The Snake
A Fable by Hans Cheetham
Every morning a snake which was not fully grown would feast on the eggs from chickens in a chicken coop.
Many moons ago a bargain was struck with the snake and the chickens.
The chickens told him, “We will offer you an endless supply of eggs as a tribute to you, the mighty rat snake! In return, you must promise that you will never eat us. You never learned how to hunt for rabbits or rats as we were the one’s who raised and fed you. Without us, you will starve to death!”
The snake hissed back, “Oh yes! As long as you continue to bring forth delicious eggs, I shall never eat you.”
The chickens and the snake gave each other a bow and the deal was made.
Eight months later, the rat snake was thick, long, and strong and swallowed the eggs produced by all twelve chickens in the dawn of the morning.
On a cold day in February, the snake thought to himself, “I’m so hungry! I need more than just eggs in my diet!”
His eyes gazed upon the chickens and he began salivating as his saliva formed into two long strands that touched the ground.
His stomach grumbled and then he thought to himself in frustration,
