27 of 80

Write now Article Tools

The Apple Orchard and the Snake by Faith Draper

Just imagine life with ten or so children in the house and a small Michigan farm as their playground. My aunt and uncle had their own family plus the children of another aunt who had passed away, and myself and my sister to care for. During those times I know the older children had chores both around the house and the farm but the younger ones seemed to mainly follow the older ones around and attempt to do what they did. Running the fields and the apple orchard seemed to be our favorite pastimes.

It was one of the days we were playing in the apple orchard that I had an experience I will never forget. I can't remember now if we were playing hide and seek or maybe collecting apples that had fallen from the trees. What I do remember is my aunt's words telling us not to play in the orchard without shoes on.

This particular day though I know I didn't have shoes on. I hadn't listened to my aunt but before the experience was over I certainly wished I had.

Hot and tired I stopped to lean up against one of the apple trees. As I stood there watching some of my cousins dodging here and there behind trees I felt something on my barefoot. I didn't think anything about it. Figuring it was just a leaf the wind had blown across the ground or a small branch I had displaced when I went to stand next to the tree. I was more interested in what the others were doing.

It wasn't until one of my older cousins yelled that I realized there was something wrong. The panic in his voice startled me as he yelled from several feet away, "Faith, don't move!" I followed his stare to my own bare feet. There among the leaves was a snake, the biggest snake I had ever seen and it was slithering right across my bare feet. I remember starting to cry but I didn't move. I stood there for what seemed like forever as my cousin looked around for a stick. He finally pulled a branch off a nearby tree.

By now some of the other cousins had noticed something wrong and came closer to see what was going on. The movement of the others must have alerted the snake because it stopped where it was, stretched across my small bare feet. The conversation among the cousins was what to do. Someone suggested calling my aunt out of the house while someone else said maybe if they made a lot of noise it would scare the snake off.

My cousin who had spotted the snake and was holding a long branch took control of the matter. He informed everyone we couldn't call my aunt because I didn't

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Essays: Childhood memories?
We want to hear your view. Write now!