On her way to work one morning

Down the path along the lake

A tender-hearted woman saw a poor half-frozen snake.

His pretty colored skin had been all frosted with the dew.

"Oh well," she cried, "I’ll take you in, and I’ll take care of you."

"Take me in oh tender woman

Take me in, for heaven’s sake

Take me oh tender woman," sighed the broken snake.

She wrapped him up all cozy in a curvature of silk

Then laid him by the fireside with honey and some milk

Now she hurried home from work that night as soon as she arrived,

She found that pretty snake she’d take in had been revived. She was happy.

"Take me in, oh tender woman.

Take me in, oh heaven’s sake.

Take me in oh tender woman," sighed the broken snake.

Now she clutched him to her bosom, "You’re so beautiful," she cried.

"But if I hadn’t brought you in by now, heavens, you might have died."

Now she stroked his pretty skin and then she kissed him and held him tight.

But instead of saying thank you, that snake gave her a vicious bite!

"Take me in, oh tender woman,

Take me in, for heaven’s sake,

Take me in oh tender woman," sighed the vicious snake.

"I saved you," cried that woman,

"And you bit me heavens why?

You know your bite is poisonous and now I’m going to die!"

"Oh shut up, silly woman," said the reptile with a grin.

"You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in."

--Al Wilson, The Snake