large/12918/tommy_smiths_animals_1812_librivox_64kb_mp3/tommysmith_06_selous_64kb_16
large/12918/tommy_smiths_animals_1812_librivox_64kb_mp3/tommysmith_06_selous_64kb
English
12918
I should just like to see the adder that was three feet long, and _I_ am an inch longer than that. No, indeed! Whenever you see such a fine, long snake as I am, you may be sure that it is a nice grass snake, and not a nasty adder." "I won't forget that," said Tommy Smith. "But, I suppose, snakes grow like other animals. How should I be able to tell you from an adder if I were to meet you before you were three feet long?" I SHOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE THE ADDER THAT WAS THREE FEET LONG AND I AM AN INCH LONGER THAN THAT NO INDEED WHENEVER YOU SEE SUCH A FINE LONG SNAKE AS I AM YOU MAY BE SURE THAT IT IS A NICE GRASSNAKE AND NOT A NASTY ADDER I WON'T FORGET THAT SAID TOMMY SMITH BUT SUPPOSE SNAKES GROW LIKE OTHER ANIMALS HOW SHOULD I BE ABLE TO TELL YOU FROM AN ADDER IF I WERE TO MEET YOU BEFORE YOU WERE THREE FEET LONG
Smith, “if that is true, I am glad I didn’t kill you. But are you quite sure?” “If you don’t believe _me_,” said the snake, “you must get some good book of natural history, and there you will find it mentioned that we grass-snakes are quite harmless. It is the great superiority which our family have always had over that of the adder. People may call _him_ a ‘poisonous reptile,’ but they cannot speak of _us_ in that way. If they were to, they would only show their ignorance.” “But how am I to know which is one and which is the other?” asked Tommy Smith. “You will not find _that_ very difficult,” the grass-snake answered; “and if you will promise not to hurt me, I will come out from where I am and show you.” Of course Tommy Smith promised (you see he was getting a much better boy to animals than he used to be), and directly he had, the snake came gliding out from under the bush, and lay on the ground just at his feet. “Now”, he said, “to begin with, I am a good deal longer than an adder. OULD HAVE KILLED A POOR HARMLESS ANIMAL WELL SAID TOMMY SMITH IF THAT IS TRUE I AM GLAD I DIDN'T KILL YOU BUT ARE YOU QUITE SURE IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME SAID THE SNAKE YOU MUST GET SOME GOOD BOOK OF NATURAL HISTORY AND THERE YOU WILL FIND IT MENTIONED THAT WE GRASSNAKES ARE QUITE HARMLESS IT IS THE GREAT SUPERIORITY WHICH OUR FAMILY HAVE ALWAYS HAD OVER THAT OF THE ADDER PEOPLE MAY CALL HIM A POISONOUS REPTILE BUT THEY CANNOT SPEAK OF US IN THAT WAY IF THEY WERE TO THEY WOULD ONLY SHOW THEIR IGNORANCE BUT HOW AM I TO KNOW WHICH IS ONE AND WHICH IS THE OTHER ASKED TOMMY SMITH YOU WILL NOT FIND THAT VERY DIFFICULT THE GRASS SNAKE ANSWERED AND IF YOU WILL PROMISE NOT TO HURT ME I WILL COME OUT FROM WHERE I AM AND SHOW YOU OF COURSE TOMMY SMITH PROMISED YOU SEE HE WAS GETTING A MUCH BETTER BOY TO ANIMALS THAN HE USED TO BE AND DIRECTLY HE HAD THE SNAKE CAME GLIDING OUT FROM UNDER THE BUSH AND LAY ON THE GROUND JUST AT HIS FEET NOW HE SAID TO BEGIN WITH I AM A GOOD DEAL LONGER THAN AN ADDER
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