Snake in the House
In Waipo's village of the camphor hills there was a snake in every house. The snake protected the household against bad luck and ills. It could be the spirit of a great-grand-parent who found life in the house more livable than in the graveyard. Children were taught not to throw stones at snakes found in a tomb. Yet the bricks were excavated cold from another world to build more houses. Therefore more snakes slid out to share a civilized life. |