Snake

On Sundays, when my brother and I had our school duties accomplished, we circled the chief and would usually ask the same question to the chief. Which is the worst snake? The chief thought... and thought... and answered: the «black mamba» because there is not salvation! A bite from a black mamba is always fatal and the man will die. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_mamba

Now we can think in the fate of the natives of Africa!!

My grandfather gave me an air gun and when I was a little boy I liked to go after little birds! I remember my fear and utmost care with snakes. The natives have their foot-paths in the tall grass. These foot-paths are very dangerous because they are covered with grass and dead leaves. When I was hunting the birds in the savannah in the backs of my house the fear of black mambas was great. I never took a step without gaze to the ground! Never!

In Portugal and in my farm I lost the fear of snakes. The first to catch a live snake, in the farm, were my brother and my father! They brought a little one of a work in the woods and Mister Manuel Ferreira’s daughter, São, she was there too! My brother approached São and said:

Watch this São!

São said: Oh! Its a snake of rubber! And seized the snake. She gave a scream, a shriek and released the snake!

After this I learned that the bad snakes in Portugal are the adders that are little ones and with cat eyes. The eyes are alike the eyes of cats with a gap in the pupil of the eye. Next I had a zoo of Iberian snakes in my own farm! I had many snakes: the green ones, the streak ones and so on and so forth!! I never saw an adder in my farm. Never. Only harmless ones. The month of April is the month of snakes because if we stroll in the woods the snakes are all in the sun!! They need the heat of the sun in this month.

And they are hungry!

I was bitten many and many times.

Today, when I stroll, I always carry my video and photographic cameras.

Never more I will imprison a wild animal!!