Another time, the snake was sleeping keeping the head out in the hole of the stone revetment built on the side of the pathway by it seems. By the time Labor-Head calls out help by shouting ‘COBRA COBRA’ after spotting it, it pulled its head in and disappeared. When I asked the farm workers let us pull the stones and kill the snake, they all disagreed. The Labor-Head had made them frightened by crying out loud in front of them that the snake wouldn’t quit without killing him. Fear is like a contagious disease. Initially Teekappa was not that afraid. But the Labor-Head’s cry and the behavior of the snake had slowly started the fear in him also. Many times the snake’s appearance around the house seemed like its waiting to bite someone. By the time Teekappa yells ‘COBRA COBRA’ after spotting, it would slither somewhere and disappear.
Snakes are more in Malnad region rather than the plains. But still the deaths by the snake bites are more in plains compared to Malnad region. I haven’t seen any snake coming desperately to bite someone no matter how powerful venomous it is. They would be quick to move and hide somewhere when spotted by people. There are plenty of bushes, holes, plants to hide for them in Malnad so they don’t get into the desperate situation of bite and escape. They decide to hiss and bite only in situations where there is nowhere to escape.
Because of this snake, it became worrisome to me about Kiwi. I have already lost three or four good dogs to snakes that come around my house. It doesn’t mean that the snakes have special enmity over dogs. In fact, dogs are the ones that bother the snakes unnecessarily. Dogs have the habit of pulling any creature that tends to hide in a hole. By holding the scent they start to dig up the holes. One could see the diggings that Kiwi has dug around the house to catch bugs and insects. That’s why dogs get sacrificed to snakes due to their bad habit of digging. Since the snakes look physically weaker than them, dogs wouldn’t be afraid to put their mouth over the snakes. If its non-venomous snakes like water snakes it’s not a problem. But dogs would eventually die when the venom spreads even though they kill the venomous snakes like cobras or vipers.
By the thought of our dog’s welfare itself I was anxious to kill the snake. I didn’t know about snake charmer Yenkta at that time yet. Kiwi wouldn’t have left the snake alive if it would have spotted it. This snake was showing excellent skillfulness in escaping. The fearsome created by our Labor-Head among everyone was also helpful to the snake in escaping. Instead of quiet observation of snake’s movement and the spot of its hiding and calling for help calmly, one who spotted the snake would shout ‘Oh, COBRA COBRA’. By the time when we all get there with the stick, the snake would be out of sight slithering somewhere. Then the Labor-Head would cry out loud stating it would go away only after killing him and scare everyone.
Within one week of snake spotting, the Labor-Head almost became mentally ill. He started yelling ‘COBRA COBRA’ in his dreams. He decided that he is going to die for sure and told his family what needs to be done after his death and who should take care of the household and got ready to get into the coffin. I was convinced by seeing him wandering in pain pale faced like a bed-ridden patient that he is going to die by seeing the snake itself even if it doesn’t bite him.
On one hot summer day when I was inside the home, I heard a sound of drum beating like tin beating noise. Then followed Kiwi’s furious barking. Immediately I remembered Labor-Head’s ‘COBRA’. I got concerned hearing Kiwi’s bark thinking its end has come. Soon I heard Teekappa shouting “Oh COBRA COBRA” and yelling Kiwi to come away. I came out running wondering why he is beating the tin.
There was a tug-of-war going on between the snake and Kiwi near the bath room fire pit covered with the cloud of ashes. Couldn’t figure which is snake’s head or tail by the whipping strap looking snake. Whenever its body touches the rusted kerosene tin during its lashes it used to make the drum beating sound. Seeing me, Teekappa and the Labor-Head both yelled “Please call Kiwi back, the snake is dancing near the tin.”
Jannapura main road was getting tarred. One of the drum out of many tar drums that were rolled under a tree was broke and the tar has flown until it solidified. Teekappa had brought a seven to eight kilo ball of tar and put it in an old rusted kerosene tin so that it can be used to fill the holes of household pots and tins. So whenever the snake’s head or tail hits the tin during the lashing repetitive swings of the snake, the tin was making a sound.
By the time I could call Kiwi commandingly; Kiwi caught the snake and threw it away. The snake fell straight by the Labor-Head’s feet who was standing in the yard. Thinking that the snake came purposefully flying near him, the frightened Labor-Head couldn’t even run stood frozen.
The snake was behaving strangely on that day. Instead of usual slithering escape, it was lashing around the yard raising the dust and dancing like the cobra dancing shown in movies. No matter what I do, unwilling Kiwi was also behaving similar to that snake gone mad created more dust and the mess.
May be the Labor-Head got little courageous by seeing despite an easy prey, instead of biting him the COBRA is dancing. He looked at me and said “Bring the gun Master. Let’s give it a shot.” Teekappa ran to get the stick. Yelling “Hold Kiwi” I ran into the house to bring the gun.
It was not possible to gun down the snake due to Kiwi’s mess. Teekappa moved slowly in fear towards the snake and swung his stick. Teekappa’s swing hit the snake and broke its back. Suddenly, the Labor-Head rushed furiously to the forefront yelling “Curse to your home! Again you are driving it to the forest half harmed! It’s a crowned king cobra. See the crown on its head” cursing Teekappa, pulled the stick from him and started beating the snake repetitively. Kiwi also stepped back watching his fury. The stick got broke within three or four beatings, but it had already passed a deadly stroke to the snake.
After watching the dead snake closely, we realized why the snake was dancing strangely. After roaming surroundings of the house for many days, the snake had fallen asleep that day under the tin that Teekappa had placed the tar and thrown. During that hot afternoon, the tar had melted and leaked through the crack of the tin onto the snake’s face without its observation. Awakened by the sudden arrival of Kiwi, couldn’t being able to pull the tar ball stuck head inside; the snake was lashing its tail. When Kiwi grabbed it and thrown, despite the tar ball was off the head but still stunned by tar pasted over its eyes and mouth, the snake couldn’t figure what to do and lash danced madly all around the yard. The scene of the tar over its head made the Labor-Head to call it the crowned king cobra.
After the Labor-Head relieved by the snake’s death, I asked him what does he meant by crowned king cobra? He told me that there is a crowned king cobra living in the deep jungles by the Ghats and it stands on its tail and would strike straight into people’s head, so people passing in those jungles would tie a rock over their head to protect them.
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