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How To Not Kill A Snake Version 4

Theo encounters a beautiful snake in his backyard and initially considers killing it out of fear. However, he takes a moment to observe and research the snake, discovering it is harmless and beneficial. This experience teaches him the importance of understanding before acting on fear.

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15 views2 pages

How To Not Kill A Snake Version 4

Theo encounters a beautiful snake in his backyard and initially considers killing it out of fear. However, he takes a moment to observe and research the snake, discovering it is harmless and beneficial. This experience teaches him the importance of understanding before acting on fear.

Uploaded by

localhost800
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How to Not Kill a Beautiful Snake

A true story, or close enough to be one.

Theo wasn’t afraid of snakes exactly—he just didn’t like them.

He didn’t like how they moved. Didn’t like how they appeared out of nowhere, silent and cold. Most of all, he didn’t like the stories his uncle used
to tell—about copperheads under porches, about kids who didn’t see the warning signs.

So when he found the snake in his backyard, lying in the tall grass near the compost bin, he went stiff.

It was a hot day, the kind where even the air seems heavy. The snake was long and lean, with dark markings that looked like calligraphy on pale
gold. Beautiful, yes—but also, in his mind, a problem.

He picked up the shovel leaning by the shed.

His dog was nearby. His niece sometimes played in that yard. It would be easy—quick—clean.

But then he paused.

The snake wasn’t moving. Just resting. Its head lifted slightly, tongue flickering in the warm air. Not aggressive. Not even curious. Just there,
like it belonged.

And maybe it did.

Theo put the shovel down.

Instead, he slowly backed away, watching it for another moment. Then he went inside, pulled out his phone, and searched “snake identification
harmless backyard”. A few minutes later, he found it: an eastern rat snake. Non-venomous. Helpful, actually—it kept mice and ticks away.

He laughed, just once. Not at the snake, but at himself. At how fast fear had wanted to turn into violence. At how easily it could’ve—if he hadn’t
waited. Looked. Learned.

The snake was gone by the next morning.

But the feeling stayed: that he’d almost erased something beautiful, just because he didn’t understand it.

Lesson:
You don’t have to be brave to spare something you fear.
You just have to be willing to learn before you act.

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