Why The Serpent Sheds His Skin
:
The Book Of Nature Myths
The serpent is the grandfather of the owl, and once upon a time if the
owl needed help, she would say, "My grandfather will come and help me,"
but now he never comes to her. This story tells why.
When the owl carried away the little quail, she went to the serpent and
said, "Grandfather, you will not tell the quail that I have her son,
will you?"
"No," answered the serpent, "I will keep your
ecret. I will not whisper
it to any one." So when the mother quail asked all the animals, "Can you
tell me who has carried away my little son?" the serpent answered, "I
have been sound asleep. How could I know?"
After the quail had become a snipe and had gone to live in the marsh
among the reeds, the cruel owl looked everywhere for him, and at last
she saw him standing beside a great stone in the water.
She went to the serpent and said, "Grandfather, will you do something
for me?"
"I will," hissed the serpent softly, "What is it?"
"Only to take a drink of water," answered the owl. "Come and drink all
the water in the marsh, and then I can catch the quail that I made into
a snipe."
The serpent drank and drank, but still there was water in the marsh.
"Why do you not drink faster?" cried the owl. "I shall never get the
snipe."
The serpent drank till he could drink no more, and still the water stood
in the marsh. The owl could not see well by day, and the serpent could
not see above the reeds and rushes, so they did not know that the water
from the pond was coming into the marsh faster than the serpent could
drink it.
Still the serpent drank, and at last his skin burst.
"Oh," he cried, "my skin has burst. Help me to fasten it together."
"My skin never bursts," said the owl. "If you will drink the water from
the marsh, I will help you, but I will not fasten any skin together till
I get that snipe."
The serpent had done all that he could to help the owl, and now he was
angry. He was afraid, too, for he did not know what would happen to him,
and he lay on the ground trembling and quivering. It was not long before
his old skin fell off, and then he saw that under it was a beautiful new
one, all bright and shining. He sheds his old skin every year now, but
never again has he done anything to help the owl.