Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Serpents
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
THE SERPENTS.
asp snake, who had not participated in the
proceedings before. "/ was caught, but by none of
your vile means, as you others have been. I
was charmed into captivity by music ; and since
I had been taught to move in graceful curves,
just as the dulcet tones themselves. I was sent
over in a small basket here, like one of my
ancestors,—the one that was chosen by the
Empress Cleopatra for her bane. But ever
since I have been here, I have nearly pined
away for want of music. Will our keepers
never indulge us in that ? What! not a single
flute, nor a Paris reed, nor an ^Eolian harp, to
which, I know, many a snake listens with
rapture, when the wind plays on the strings
which creeping plants have suspended for the
purpose in luxuriant tropical woods. I am
sure our guardians might do as much for the
perquisites of our cast-off skins, which fall at
several periods of the year."
"They wont understand our craving for
music in captivity," said the sacred cobra, being
also very musical. " Rather let us address
ourselves to this long-bearded old man, that has
long been standing before our cages, and has
been following our movements with his dreamy
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
