Snake Devil

This story was just told to me by a friend here in the village as a warning. I'm passing it along to you as entertainment.

In another village, not too far down along the main road, a local woman encountered an attractive stranger. The usual pleasantries were exchanged, Africa-style. Eventually, the young woman brought the handsome man home to her parents and introduced him as her boyfriend. More pleasantries were exchanged, and then the girl prepared water and a basin for the man to bathe in. She left the room. Upon her return, she saw not a man in the basin, but rather an enormous snake!

The young woman fled, but returned later that night. The snake was gone, and the attractive man was waiting for her. "Forget what you saw," he said. "If you tell anyone, I'll kill you."

The girl kept silent. The next day, the couple ventured into the bush. At the sight of the tall, weaving grasses, the man's eyes glittered and he began to transform into a giant snake. "If you tell anyone," the snake hissed, "I'll break every bone in your body."

The girl kept silent. In time she learned that she was pregnant. She would give birth to two beings: one human and one snake. The snake-man promised that as soon as she gave birth, he would take the "children" and disappear forever.

As no women in the area have given birth to snakes recently, we can only assume that the snake-man is still staying down the road. However, I will keep my wits about me should an attractive stranger with a child and baby snake ever want my number.