SNAKES AND SNAKE STORIES 413 



happily for some time together Eve had a yearn- 

 ing for an affinity, or possibly her life was too 

 monotonous, and things ran too smoothly in the 

 Garden of Eden; the life there lacked excitement 

 and was absolutely devoid of gossip. At any rate, 

 so the story goes 



EVE MET THE SERPENT 



one day when Adam was not with her. Of course 

 if Adam had been a man of pluck and had been 

 present he would have taken a stick and killed the 

 snake as his descendants have been doing ever since, 

 but according to the legend Adam was mooning 

 about somewhere else in the garden when he 

 should have been at home with his wife. The ser- 

 pent, taking advantage of Adam's absence, twisted 

 himself up in such beautiful spirals and made such 

 pretty compliments that he completely won the 

 good lady's heart. Then it was that he boldly 

 asked her for her wedding ring. "But you have 

 no hands," exclaimed Eve, coquettishly, "and hav- 

 ing no hands you have no ring finger. What shall 

 I do? Shall I slip it over your tail?" 



"No, no," replied the serpent. "It would be in 

 the way there. Slip it over my head and I will 

 wear it as a necklace." 



Eve did as she was bid and to this day you can 

 find Madam Eve's wedding ring of shining gold 



