Wednesday, 16th July, 2008 The Indian
Elizabeth met an Indian on an Indian Reservation. His name was Geronimo. Geronimo took Elizabeth into his teepee. Geronimo picked up a snake from the ground that was warming itself next to a fire that was in the centre of the teepee. Cross-legged, the Indian sat down. Elizabeth thought it most appropriate to sit down on the ground facing the Indian on the opposite side of the fire and she didn't seem to mind that her dress would most certainly be getting dirty as she became enchanted by the flickering gaze of the Indian's face through the flames and the smoke.
"Does the snake ever bite you?", said Elizabeth. "No, not any more", said the Indian. "So the snake bit you before?". "Yes, a long time ago, the snake came into my teepee and I was bitten while I was trying to play with him. A pain went right through my body and I felt my heart go very hot and then I fell into a powerful trance before I hit the earth and fell to sleep. I was very lucky not to die. During the trance and my dreams there were some very strange hallucinations where I seemed to swim between the sky and the mountains with snakes and wild beasts all over and around me. When I awoke, I felt some days had passed, and the snake was sleeping on my chest. Since that time, I don't play with him, and he doesn't bite me". Elizabeth was amazed, "Would the snake bite me?". "Most probably", said Geronimo, "But I wouldn't let the snake get close to you. You would have to find out for yourself, if you must, when I wasn't looking". "Oh my goodness", said Elizabeth, "I don't think I am that brave to pick the snake up and I certainly wouldn't tease him". "Yes, said Geronimo, as he carried the snake to the entrance of the teepee and put him down outside, "There you go, go be a snake". "Elizabeth, would you like to hear a story?'. "Oh yes, please". Elizabeth was almost kneeling, now. "Well, once upon a time, a girl, just like you, found an injured snake. She thought the snake must have been trampled on by a horse or something like that. She decided to take the snake home and try to nurse it back to health. She bathed and bandaged the sores and put the snake as straight as she could. She was so pleased as weeks later the snake fully recovered and started moving around. She then picked the snake up and it bit her. She was so shocked and in a deathly pain. As she dropped the snake and fell to the ground, she said, "Why did you bite me? I nursed you back to life?". And the snake replied, "Hey, look girl, you knew I was a snake!". Ha ha ha!" roared Geronimo. "Ha ha, you are so terribly funny" giggled Elizabeth.