Both the poisonous and the not poisonous variety of snakes take their place in the Japanese human system in one form or another. The majority of the ophidian retiles are dried, charred, powdered, made into pills or capsules and then used for all variety of diseases from complications of the stomach to the twistings of the heart as the result of unrequited love.
In the neighbourhood of Mount Touki, which is said to be the favourite haunt of snakes in Japan, there is quite a small army of men who make a living capturing snakes for medicinal and culinary Purposes. Before long, according, to fanciers of snake meat, it will become necessary to have snake farms. It is believed here that makes give great muscular strength, just as it is believed that the eating of venison gives fleetness of foot.
The Usual Legend Snake stories, like-"fox stories and hobgoblin tales, are plentiful in Japan. The latest of these cords the return of a pair ptiles, to a home they had been in 90. years ago, They retired to the scene of their childhood, longer, older, and trailing at their fails. two smaller specimens. of their tribe, a son and a daughter.
Twenty years ago, so tins, the tale, a pair of snakes scientifically Known as elaphe elimacophora. took up their dwellings in the home of tone Mfr. Ochiai. The snakes. became very tame and soon were regarded as pels of the family. Evil days, however, fell on the Ochiai household who found it Gifieult to spare the snakes" any food, and the old lady of" the household thus spoke to the reptiles am sorry that evil times do not permit you to continue to be with us, We can't afford it," and you must look out for yourselves, Let us hope we meet again."
'That night, so runs the village story, the two snakes disappeared and were soon forgotten. Years ater, Fortune smiled on the Ochiais and the old lady expressed a wish that the serpents would return, A postman, passing the Ochiai' home one morning, was horrified to seo two long snake trailing their way into the Ochiai household and close behind them two: shorter ones. He raised an alarm, but the old lady, hurrying out, requested that the reptiles should not be harmed. The two long and healthy-looking crawlers, she explained, were the old snakes returning to' the home of their childhood and the other two their issue.
The four serpents now live in the Ochiai domicile and come, at regular hours from a hole in the ground for their meals. People have flocked from all parts to them, and so numerous have been the callers that the Ochiais have put up a notice to the effect that the newcomers can be viewed only between the hours of 8 and 12 in the morning.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.