Mittwoch, 13. Juni 2007

A year in Provence - The menace of vipers

In the forest, Peter Mayle’s acquaintance Massot put up signs saying Prive´ and other with the unwelcoming message “Viperes “ to get rid of the hated Germans. Peter Mayle didn’t believe in this danger and got immediately a private lecture from his distant neighbour.

If a viper bites a man, the man dies. If the viper bites a woman – then the viper dies.
Even so, told Massot, snakes are normally peaceful creatures and attack men only if they feel provoked. Massot advised him to run in zigzags’ uphill to escape the furious, jumping viper.

But by far the best antidote to vipers would be, being joined by a woman. The snake would catch the female creature first. Another infallible peasant’s trick is spitting in the open mouth of the viper after catching it. Peter Mayle went home circumspectly by practising his spitting form time to time.

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