So it seems that even the deadly cobra is not as black as it is painted, but can be tamed and made a friend of by man. When the snake-charmer wants a new snake he plays on his pipe near places in which serpents are apt to hide, and the cobra and other snakes come out and are caught. Sometimes the poison fangs are drawn out of the snake's jaws, but often they are not, the charmers knowing how to avoid being bitten. If bitten, they know how to take care of a bite.
Here is a story told by a Mr. Reyne, who tried to learn the truth about the snake charmers. He made one of these men go with him into the jungle, after finding that he had no snakes hidden under his clothes. As these Hindus wear very little clothing, this was easy to do.
In the jungle was a tall ant-hill in which Mr. Reyne knew that a large cobra made its home. Here the man played his pipe, and soon the cobra came gliding out, as if charmed by the music. Mr. Reyne goes on to say:
"On seeing the man it tried to escape, but he caught it by the tail and kept swinging it around until we reached the bungalow. He then made it dance, but before long it bit him above the knee. He at once bandaged the leg above the bite and applied a snake-stone to the wound to draw out the poison. He was in great pain for a few minutes but after that it gradually went away, the stone falling off just before he was relieved."
Thus it may be seen that a snake can be made to dance the instant it is caught and before it can have any lessons in dancing. The dancing is only a movement made by the serpent when it is alarmed and rises to defend itself.
As for the taming of snakes, it is not very hard to do. The snakes must get used to the sight of man by seeing them often, as when kept in a cage where people pass or stop to look in. And when thus used to see man, they may be handled freely at all times except just after a meal. But those who handle them must be careful not to touch their necks or tails, for these are tender parts of the snake. Thus treated, they soon grow tame. Of course, some are much more savage than others, and any one who wants to own a tame snake had better leave the poisonous kinds alone.
THE MONGOOSE AND OTHER SMALL ANIMALS
As I have now told the story of the snake, it is well to give a little time to one of the snake's chief enemies, the little weasel-like animal known in Egypt as the Ichneumon and in India as the Mongoose. Larger than a cat, but with a long, slender body, and very quick in its movements, the ichneumon is death to snakes. I cannot say that it is proof against the snake's bite, but it jumps about in so lively a way that the snake gets no chance to bite it, and when it once gets its teeth in the snake's hide it soon puts an end to his career.
This little animal is also death to crocodiles. But you must not think that it deals with the crocodile as it does with the snake. The fact is that it is very fond of the crocodile's eggs, and by digging these out of the sand and eating them it is of much use in cutting down the crocodile crop.
It is easily tamed and becomes a house pet, doing much to keep the house free from rats and mice. Its worst fault is that it loves poultry and is hard to keep out of the chicken coop. The ichneumon has a pretty fashion of squatting down and eating out of its fore-paws like a squirrel. When it sleeps it coils up into a round ball, with its head and tail under its belly.