The Snake Charmer

Essay on The Snake Charmer

Points: Dress and appearance of the snake charmer – A welcome figure everywhere – Handles snakes and other poisonous insects with great pride – Leads a gypsy life – Generally a poor and needy person.

Who has not seen the snake-charmer? He is generally clad in dirty and torn clothes. His feet are very often bare. He has big earrings in his ears. He wears a turban, which is generally yellow. He is a wild and fierce-looking person, muscular and strong. He has bright eyes, rough hair, and a loud voice. He always carries on his shoulder a basket, in which are kept snakes, cobras, and other deadly vipers. He has also a vina, which is made of a gourd hollowed from within. This is furnished with holes which serve as stops. He blows his breath into this flute, and produces a sweet sound by manipulating the holes with his fingers.

He is a welcome figure everywhere. Wherever he goes, little children, boys and grown-up men gather around him. They ask him to play upon the vina, and show to them his pets. He is always prepared to do so if he is promised some little money.4essay.blogspot.com

He handles snakes and other poisonous creatures with much pride. He keeps them in small earthen vessels, whose mouth is covered with small pieces of cloth. He empties the contents of the pot on the ground. At that time the snake appears to be a dull, listless thing. But he prods it with a small stick, and the snake begins to move. At that very time the charmer begins to play upon his vina. Then the snake raises its head, and swings its body to and fro. If it is a cobra, its eyes begin to gleam, and it tries to expand its hood. This goes on as long as the snake-charmer plays upon the vina.4essay.blogspot.com

The snake-charmer lives away from cities. He is a kind of gypsy. He wanders from place to place. He claims to know the use of herbs which can cure snake-bite. He even claims to possess some magic stones. But these claims of his are not always to be accepted.

On the whole, the snake-charmer is a very poor and needy person. He feels thankful even for small gifts. He would perhaps not be so needy, if he were not inclined to take opium and other intoxicants so frequently.