Mr. Slithers Poem by Sidi Mahtrow

Lying quietly by the fire
Mr. Slithers showed no care
Warm and cosy was he
With no concerns about eternity.

Once he had made a big mistake when
He emerged too early from his den
And lay out on the warm tamarack
Straight as an arrow was his back.

The suns heat was enough to cause
Him to sleep and forget Nature's laws.
For when the sun went down
So did his temperature without a sound.

And there he lay
Till next day
When Ben happened by
And found Mr. Slithers in death's grip nigh.

Picking him up by his tail
Ben deposited him in the pail
That he used to take trash outside
This time he had something of value to bring inside.

For Mr. Slithers was well known
As a black snake that would be just at home
Living in a warm house all his days
Crawling about in snake-like ways.

As he warmed and slowly moved about there
He began to wonder what food was here.
And he discovered that Ben had provided
(But not to his intention it should be noted.)
A bountiful supply of mice and rats
Who live here with Ben and his dog and cats.

So Mr. Slithers took on the task
That would ensure the rodents would see their last
And he helped to rid the house then and there
Of those interlopers that did dare
To invade the house on the country lane
Where Ben lived in comfort, though quite plain.

Of course ridding the house of these pest
Would seem to mean that future meals would be less
But Nature provides an endless supply
Of rodents that come in from outside on the sly.
So Mr. Slithers was assured that his next meal
Was going to be there from the cotton field.

But Mr. Slithers had another
Job which he was expected to shoulder.
For you see Ben's house was without
Locks on the doors to keep intruders out.
So he was expected to provide
Security against those who tried
To steal into Ben's home and take away
Things that Ben saved for another day.

Soon it became known country wide
That within the house a snake was known to hide
And that was quite enough to ensure
That no one entered who had thoughts impure.
(At least when Ben and his dog were away.)

So if you should happen to see
A large black snake merrily
Racing across the yard,
Perhaps its Mr. Slithers on guard.
Or one of his offspring
Who reappear with spring.