large/12918/tommy_smiths_animals_1812_librivox_64kb_mp3/tommysmith_06_selous_64kb_42
large/12918/tommy_smiths_animals_1812_librivox_64kb_mp3/tommysmith_06_selous_64kb
English
12918
'" "That is only because they were ignorant people," said the adder, "and did not know any better. THAT IS ONLY BECAUSE THEY WERE IGNORANT PEOPLE SAID THE ADDER AND DID NOT KNOW ANY BETTER
 they interfere with me, so I think the best thing they can do is just to let me alone. It is true that my two front teeth are poisonous, and that I can kill some creatures by biting them. But these creatures are not men or women, but only mice or small birds or frogs. You know I have to eat them, so I may just as well kill them before I begin. The grass-snake eats _his_ frogs alive. That is much more cruel than if he killed them first, as I do.” “How do you kill them?” said Tommy Smith. “I suppose you sting them with your forked tongue, and then they die.” “Did you not hear me say that I bit them,” said the adder; “and that I had two poisonous teeth? My tongue is not poisonous at all. There is no more harm in it than there is in yours.” “Oh! but, Mr. Adder,” cried Tommy Smith, “do you know I once went to the Zoological Gardens in London, and I saw the snakes there, and whenever one of them put out his tongue, as you do yours, the people all said, ‘Look at its sting! Look at its sting! TO I NEVER INTERFERE WITH PEOPLE UNLESS THEY INTERFERE WITH ME SO I THINK THE BEST THING THEY CAN DO IS JUST TO LET ME ALONE IT IS TRUE THAT MY TWO FRONT TEETH ARE POISONOUS AND THAT I CAN KILL SOME CREATURES BY BITING THEM BUT THESE CREATURES ARE NOT MEN OR WOMEN BUT ONLY MICE OR SMALL BIRDS OR FROGS YOU KNOW I HAVE TO EAT THEM SO I MAY JUST AS WELL KILL THEM BEFORE I BEGIN THE GRASS SNAKE EATS HIS FROGS ALIVE THAT IS MUCH MORE CRUEL THAN IF HE KILLED THEM FIRST AS I DO HOW DO YOU KILL THEM ASKED TOMMY SMITH I SUPPOSE YOU STING THEM WITH YOUR FORKED TONGUE AND THEN THEY DIE DO YOU NOT HEAR ME WHEN I SAID I BITE THEM SAID THE ADDER AND THAT I HAVE TWO POISONOUS TEETH MY TONGUE IS NOT POISONOUS AT ALL THERE IS NO MORE HARM IN IT THAN THERE IS IN YOURS OH BUT MISTER ADDER CRIED TOMMY SMITHER YOU KNOW I ONCE WENT TO THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS OF LONDON AND I SAW THE SNAKES THERE AND WHENEVER ONE OF THEM PUT OUT HIS TONGUE AS YOU DO YOURS THE PEOPLE ALL SAID LOOK AT ITS STING LOOK AT ITS STING
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