Snake and Weasel

A Christian fable with non-commissioned original art by Wenceslaus Hollar

It so happened that a trapping pit into which a snake followed a mouse caused a lot of discomfort to nearby villagers. The ground around it was poisoned and no plant or animal wanted to go near it. So the snake in the trapping pit became as hungry as the villagers.

Needing a solution, a twelve-year-old boy was sent to the priest. The priest gave the boy instructions: catch a weasel and place it in the trapping pit after removing the rat line cables. Confused and excited, the boy quickly set a trap for the weasel.

After catching a weasel, the boy took it in a bag to the trap. There, he saw the snake lounging in a ray of sunlight. He took some stones and threw them at the snake, which recoiled in embarrassment. Carefully removing the rat line cables with hands trembling with excitement, the boy decided to save the village.

Shaking the satchel with the weasel in the trapping pit, the boy exclaimed, “I am here to praise Our Lord and feed the village!” The weasel rushed the snake from the side and fought.

The snake summoned its last breath and slithered into the shadows, away from the weasel. A powerful whiff of foul odor knocked the boy off his feet. Likewise, the weasel backed away. The boy realized that this battle would not be easy to win and crawled towards the edge of the trapping pit. “Come on, mighty beast, strike this life eater” the boy shouted in encouragement.

Apparently refreshed by the good humor, the weasel ran in the shadows towards the snake. The boy could see a tangle of white fur and sinew and the battle was over as quickly as it began. There lay the bodies of the valiant weasel and the accursed serpent.

“How annoying, I killed them both,” the boy lamented. Getting up, he looked for a log with knots to lower into the trapping pit. Seeing one taller than the pit nearby, he dragged it to the pit. He then took the ratlines and carefully placed them in the pit. The log he placed in the corner.

He tested the log, took his bag and went down into the pit. The snake and the weasel were dead. The boy said a prayer;

“Heavenly Father, hallowed be His name, forgive me for I have sinned. I have killed one of your beasts.”

He put into the bag both. He threw the rat line cables out of the trapping pit and climbed out. On dry land, he smelled the sweet scent of the North wind. Even if one of God's beasts was killed, the village would eat again.

Give Gratitude for God's Beasts