Snakes near the Spring
Excerpt from Remembrances of Rosabelle Larsen Schneider, My Mother
By Her Son Dallas Max Schneider
The job she hated and feared the
most was to be with her father when he was plowing. There was a little spring
with a few willow trees, bushes and a limited amount of grass growing around
the life giving water and Grandpa would send my mother (about age 10) down to
that spring to fill his water can that he drank from. Little Rose would
hesitate to go down there because there were water snakes lurking in those
bushes and trees. They were harmless but still dreadful snakes to a child.
Her father would call out as he
made his plowing rounds, "Are you going to let your poor old father choke
to death on dust because he can't have a drink of water?" She would gird up her courage and hurriedly
fill his water can and bring it back to him and he would give her high praise
for her daring fortitude but the words of praise did not work and she was
always frightened.
One day after her father pleaded
for his water, she went and as she dipped the can into the cool water a snake
slithered out of the sparse grass and made a hissing sound at her. The harmless
snake so frightened her that she fainted and when Grandfather came around he
wondered where his little girl had gone and he got off of his plow and rushed
to the spring to find his Rosabelle lying on the ground unconscious. He gently
cradled her in his arms she soon opened her eyes and clung to her father, shivering with fright. He never
made her go for water again.
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