The Swords and the Snake
A tale was once told of a boy who wandered far from home, and as the boy slept under an ancient tree (which some say had no beginning) a snake coiled itself 'round his body.
The boy awoke as his breath was near the end and his head and body were about to be drawn into the ravenous body of the snake. The initial passivity of the boy and what seemed his inevitable end gave way to a burst of determined energy and life. He managed to draw out the small Swiss knife he carried about for years and as he did so, the knife became a sword, and after many swings of the sword, the head of the snake was cut off.
But the snake, like the hydra of old, had many heads and with the cutting off of each head, two more grew. The weariness of the battle wore the boy down and defeat seemed nearer each tragic moment. A horn was sounded in the distance and many valkyrie-like women arrived who knew the mere cutting off of the serpent's head was not enough. Many ancient swords were used and driven deep into the snake-hydra's body and heart. The boy was gathered and enfolded into the arms of the time tried warriors and brought to their home high in the mountains for months of healing.
Comments