Still more snake stories

Clyde Adams – Perth Western Australia 2001

In 1938 our brother Neville was just a small toddler, learning to walk. One day he was under the bowshed at the bottom of the steps behind the kitchen. He found his way to the verandah’s edge, in the angle between the wall and the steps. Someone lifted him up and took him inside….. and in less than a minute a huge black poisonous snake was seen, exactly where he had been standing.

Yes, the snake was quickly killed with a long pole… But we were lucky it was not Neville who died that day.

Because snakes were so prevalent in and around the homestead our father always had a number of long poles around the place, to ensure quick reaction when they appeared.

On another occasion, when our step-cousin Kath Smith was holidaying with us, a big snake was seen at night, on the verandah just outside “Charlie’s room”. We carried out the normal instruction, ie. we yelled loudly “Snake! Snake!” and our father came running, seized one of the big sticks, and killed it.

All the kids, including Kath, were watching. Then my father realised he had been undressing ready for bed, and all he was wearing was a shirt. He rushed off all embarrassed, but got even more “shirty” when Mum said “Lucky you didn’t hit that other snake by mistake.”

We had two dogs for many years, Prince and Darkie, who were also great snake killers. When they found one, no matter how big, one of them would rush in, bite it in the middle, shake it violently and toss it high in the air. The instant it hit the ground the other dog did the same thing until, inevitably, the snake was dead. We thought they would get bitten one day, but they never did.