Dave the Snake

I’ll never forget the day Dave the Snake joined us. It was April Fool’s Day, the day the unusual was usual, and Dave the Snake was nothing if not unusual. Dave the Snake didn’t have legs. Instead of walking about, he slid around. You couldn’t call him cute and cuddly. He was neither furry nor fluffy. He had a protective skin of armory scales, the better to slide with. Even his tongue was a different sort of tongue. When he flicked it in and out, out and in, in and out, out and in, you could see it quite clearly. It was a forked tongue!

Harry said, “There’s the snake. He is certainly is a shy fellow.”

“Cautious, perhaps,” said Charles.

Rodney said, “He spends most of his time sliding among the hostas lining our deck.”

Myron said, “Yes. I have seen him there when I fly here for our siesta.”

“Then you must see him seen him an awful lot because we enjoy our siestas each and every day,” said Mouseface. “Come to think of it, will he ever be able to join us? I am certain he would enjoy it up here, basking.

“That’s a fine question, Mouseface,” said Harry.

Mouseface was good at asking fine questions. There’s no shame in asking a question when you don’t know something.

André calmly adjusted his trusty meerschaum, calm as calm can be. “Indeed,” he said. “I have noticed him sunbathing beside the plum tree more than once.”

Rodney said, “How can he join us? He can’t jump up here like I do. He can’t shamble up the stairs like André.”

André nodded his agreement.

“He cannot fly as I do,” said Myron, “Nor can he walk at a leisurely pace like Harry.”

Mouseface said,” Goodness! He surely cannot stride great strides as Charles does.”

Harry said, “ Nor can he skitter about like you, Mouseface. I have to agree with you all. It’s a puzzlement.”

The next day was another a lovely day for a siesta. I noticed our new visitor relaxing in our hostas.

“Hello,” I said. “My name is Harry. My friends and I were noticing how you slide among our hostas, and luxuriate serenely beside the plum tree.”

“Hello yourself,” he said. He raised his little arrow-shaped head, the better to see Harry. “My name is Dave, Dave the Snake, and I do enjoy enjoying beside your plum tree for it a most lovely tree.”

“You know, I was wondering if you could talk having a different sort of tongue as you do. Now, I see that you can, and quite well at that.”

“Thank you, Harry. Different it is but, you know, a tongue is a tongue, forked or not,” said Dave. “I do enjoy lively conversation.”

“That’s good news,” said Harry.

“You are kind to say so.”

Harry said, “It’s important to be kind.”

“Agreed,” said Dave. “You cannot conceive of the things I see and experience being so low to the ground. I do believe I can offer you an entirely different perspective on things. A snake’s eye view.”

“You know,” said Harry, “I never thought of that. We’d like to talk with you often as you’d care to talk with us, but you seem to be a shy fellow.”

“Not so shy as cautious, Harry,” he said. “I find others are often afraid of me because I am different. I am not furry and cute. I have no legs. I flick my forked tongue to gather the scent of my surroundings. When such people are afraid, they can be quite unkind to the likes of us reptiles.”

“I understand. They may be unkind to people who are different as well. I assure you, you’ll never meet so different group as my friends and me. I’m confidant you’ll feel exceedingly safe with us. Friends make friends feel safe.”

“Different is as different does, I always say,” said Dave the Snake. “May I interpret this as an invitation to mingle and converse with you and your friends?”

“I hoped you’d say that, Dave,” said Harry.

“Ahoy, Harry,” said André. “It is a fine day, a fine day for a siesta, is it not?”

“That it is, André. I’ve been talking to my newest friend, Dave the Snake.”

André calmly puffed a puff on his trusty meerschaum. “Hello down there. My name is André, André the Woodchuck.”

Dave raised his little arrow-shaped head a bit more to see André a bit better. It’s good to see the ones you talk with, and it’s good to see the ones you talk with see you.

“And hello up there to you. It is nice to finally meet you, André. My name is Dave, Dave the Snake.”

“Finally?” said André.

“Yes,” said Dave. “I have often seen you shambling about under the plum tree, and have been curious.”

“Curiosity is a good thing to have among friends because there will always be something interesting to talk about and to learn about,” said André.

Mouseface skittered over to the railing where Myron had already flown. Then Rodney came slinking up. I know you knew Rodney is as fine a slinker as a slinker can be.

“Mouseface. Myron. Rodney. I’d like you to meet Dave the Snake. Dave, here is Mouseface, this is Myron, the bravest bird, and that fluffy orange fellow is named Rodney.”

“Hello down there Dave the Snake,” they said as one.

“Hello up there,” said Dave.

Then, who should come striding boldly onto our deck but Charles the Five and a Half Foot Tall Robin.

“Hello fellows. I see you have made the acquaintance of Dave the Snake. Good day, good snake.”

Mouseface stood on his hind legs like a prairie dog, so we knew he had something important to say.

He said, “Do you mean to say you have known Charles all along, Dave?”

“How could I not? There are not many robins of his stature striding about. We have had more than a few conversations. He tells me you often enjoy pleasant siestas up there on your deck.”

“Quite right. We do, and often as we can,” said Harry. “In fact, we’ve wondered if you would like to join us, but just how could you get up here?”

Myron said, “The stairs and all.”

“Quite true,” said the calm André. “When we knew you were down there, we hoped you would be our friend up here.”

“What he said,” said Mouseface.

Charles and Dave smiled knowingly. Charles said, “Funny you should say that, Myron. Dave and I have been talking it over.”

Dave the Snake said, “Yes, when one faces a challenge, it is wise to talk it over with friends.”

“And?” said Mouseface.

We all said, “And?” as one.

“And we believe we can set your minds at rest,” said Charles.”Would you like to tell them, Dave?”

Raising his little arrow-shaped head yet higher above the hostas he said, “Certainly. Do you know how much strength it takes to slide about here and there, there and here, and back again? Quite a bit is the answer. I am a powerful slider indeed.”

With that, Dave lifted his little arrow-shaped head quite high above the hostas, looking very much like he was standing up.

“Will you look at that?” said Myron.

Mouseface stood on his hind legs like a prairie dog. “Yes, will you?”

“I was no less surprised than you my friends,” said Charles. “Perhaps Dave will be able to join us on our deck after all.” Charles smiled his wry smile, knowing the answer full well.

We all watched as Dave the Snake coiled himself among the hostas, and with a speed and agility that left all of us breathless, he slid up on the deck, and parked himself right next to the green Adirondack of Mouseface and Rodney. We were very surprised at his might, and no less happy to have him join us, friends all.

“Hoorah!” we said as one.

“Capital,”said André.