THE GARTER-SNAKE 



The incessant crackling purr of the 

 wood-frogs is interrupted at your ap- 

 proach, and they disappear till the 

 wrinkled surface of the oblong pool 

 grows smooth again and you perceive 

 them sprawled along the bottom on the 

 leaf paving of their own color. As you 

 cast a casual glance on your prospective 

 seat, carelessly noting the mingling of 

 many hues, the brightness of the berries 

 seems most conspicuous, till a moving 

 curved and recurved gleam of gold on 

 black and a flickering flash of red catch 

 your eye and startle you with an invol- 

 untary revulsion. 



With charmed eyes held by this new 

 object, you grope blindly for a stick or 

 stone. But, if you find either, forbear 

 to strike. Do not blot out one token of 

 spring's awakening nor destroy one life 

 that rejoices in it, even though it be so 

 humble a life as that of a poor garter- 

 snake. He is so harmless to man, that, 

 were it not for the old, unreasoning an- 

 tipathy, our hands would not be raised 

 against him ; and, if he were not a snake, 

 we should call him beautiful in his stripes 

 of black and gold, and in graceful motion 

 45 



