Read Online When Grnadfather Journeys Into Winter by Craig Kee Strete - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Craig Kee Strete
Ads: Link
and picked up a short piece of broken tree branch. He carefully
stripped it of all side branches until he had one long straight stick about three foot long. He
unloosened a faded red bandana that hung around his neck and tied it to the stick so that it
dangled down like a flag at the stick's end.
"What's that for?" whispered Little Thunder,
his eyes on the snake in front of him.
"You'll see," said Tayhua. "Move slowly and
come sit beside me. Be careful you don't scare the snake."
Little Thunder edged around the snake,
making a wide circle and then came up behind his grandfather slowly. He put each foot down
carefully so the ground wouldn't shake. When his grandson was safely placed at his side, Tayhua
stretched the stick out until it hung above the rattlesnake's head.
The rattlesnake sensed the movement of the
stick and raised its head.
"To catch a rattlensnake, it is smart first
to let him be angry," said Tayhua.
"How does that work?"
"This stick is what he must be angry at, not
us. Watch and you will see."
The old man dangled the bandana towards the
snake, until it almost struck the snake's head. The snake reared back, and hissed at the piece of
cloth.
"Why does he hiss?" asked Little
Thunder.
"He is just breathing. He is exhaling air
toward his victim. It is a sign that he is angry."
The old man waved the stick back and forth
in front of the snake. The snake moved its head from side to side, captivated by the movements of
the cloth at the end of the stick.
"Be careful grandfather. Don't let him bite
you."
The old man smiled. "I have no wish to be
bitten. His fangs are sharp as a cactus spike and hollow."
The old man kept the snake busy with the
stick. He held the stick in his right hand and kept his left hand held tight to his side. He
said, "When your father was a boy he got bitten by a rattlesnake. Have you heard this
story?"
Little Thunder shook his head no.
The old man never took his eyes off the
snake as he talked. "For five summers, on the very same day the rattlesnake bit him, your father
went crazy. He wandered off in the desert to spend the day playing with bugs, toads and lizards.
For just that one day he lost his humanity and forgot who he was."
"That's kind of scary," said Little Thunder.
"I didn't know such things could happen. Why did that happen and how did he get
better?"
"I do not know how it happened or how he got
better. Life is mysterious. Not everything can be explained. But a rattlesnake is dangerous. I
tease the snake with this stick but it is serious business."
The old man suddenly lowered the end of the
stick. The bandana struck the already angry rattlesnake. It reared up and struck savagely, fangs
striking the cloth. The old man yanked the stick back and the snake threw itself forward half its
length.
The old man bend down as quick as an eagle
swooping out of the sky. With his left hand, the old man seized the snake just inches behind its
poisonous head. He held tight, muscles straining to hold the churning body of the angry snake.
The rattlesnake made a din with its rattles and writhed and coiled its body about like
mad.
The snake wrapped its body around Tayhua's
arm. Tayhua dropped the stick and put his other hand next to his left hand, so that he could more
tightly hold the snake.
"There. That is how it is done," said Tayhua
with pride. "Mind you do not catch him too far behind the head. An inch too much and he will turn
his neck and bite your fingers. He will wrap his body around you but pay him no mind. It is only
his head that can hurt you and if you grab him just as I have grabbed him, he can not get at
you.
"It looks easy when you do it," said Little
Thunder.
"To catch is easy, it is holding on that is
hard. Also letting go," said Tayhua with a smile. "Then you better watch out."
"I do not think I am ready yet to catch one
on my own," said Little Thunder suddenly as his grandfather brought the snake close to
stripped it of all side branches until he had one long straight stick about three foot long. He
unloosened a faded red bandana that hung around his neck and tied it to the stick so that it
dangled down like a flag at the stick's end.
"What's that for?" whispered Little Thunder,
his eyes on the snake in front of him.
"You'll see," said Tayhua. "Move slowly and
come sit beside me. Be careful you don't scare the snake."
Little Thunder edged around the snake,
making a wide circle and then came up behind his grandfather slowly. He put each foot down
carefully so the ground wouldn't shake. When his grandson was safely placed at his side, Tayhua
stretched the stick out until it hung above the rattlesnake's head.
The rattlesnake sensed the movement of the
stick and raised its head.
"To catch a rattlensnake, it is smart first
to let him be angry," said Tayhua.
"How does that work?"
"This stick is what he must be angry at, not
us. Watch and you will see."
The old man dangled the bandana towards the
snake, until it almost struck the snake's head. The snake reared back, and hissed at the piece of
cloth.
"Why does he hiss?" asked Little
Thunder.
"He is just breathing. He is exhaling air
toward his victim. It is a sign that he is angry."
The old man waved the stick back and forth
in front of the snake. The snake moved its head from side to side, captivated by the movements of
the cloth at the end of the stick.
"Be careful grandfather. Don't let him bite
you."
The old man smiled. "I have no wish to be
bitten. His fangs are sharp as a cactus spike and hollow."
The old man kept the snake busy with the
stick. He held the stick in his right hand and kept his left hand held tight to his side. He
said, "When your father was a boy he got bitten by a rattlesnake. Have you heard this
story?"
Little Thunder shook his head no.
The old man never took his eyes off the
snake as he talked. "For five summers, on the very same day the rattlesnake bit him, your father
went crazy. He wandered off in the desert to spend the day playing with bugs, toads and lizards.
For just that one day he lost his humanity and forgot who he was."
"That's kind of scary," said Little Thunder.
"I didn't know such things could happen. Why did that happen and how did he get
better?"
"I do not know how it happened or how he got
better. Life is mysterious. Not everything can be explained. But a rattlesnake is dangerous. I
tease the snake with this stick but it is serious business."
The old man suddenly lowered the end of the
stick. The bandana struck the already angry rattlesnake. It reared up and struck savagely, fangs
striking the cloth. The old man yanked the stick back and the snake threw itself forward half its
length.
The old man bend down as quick as an eagle
swooping out of the sky. With his left hand, the old man seized the snake just inches behind its
poisonous head. He held tight, muscles straining to hold the churning body of the angry snake.
The rattlesnake made a din with its rattles and writhed and coiled its body about like
mad.
The snake wrapped its body around Tayhua's
arm. Tayhua dropped the stick and put his other hand next to his left hand, so that he could more
tightly hold the snake.
"There. That is how it is done," said Tayhua
with pride. "Mind you do not catch him too far behind the head. An inch too much and he will turn
his neck and bite your fingers. He will wrap his body around you but pay him no mind. It is only
his head that can hurt you and if you grab him just as I have grabbed him, he can not get at
you.
"It looks easy when you do it," said Little
Thunder.
"To catch is easy, it is holding on that is
hard. Also letting go," said Tayhua with a smile. "Then you better watch out."
"I do not think I am ready yet to catch one
on my own," said Little Thunder suddenly as his grandfather brought the snake close to
Similar Books
