[ WP ] A simple , classic fairy tale

Once upon a time, in the low lands, all the animals lived quite serenely, for they played and hunted and lived. All the animals, that is, save Snake. 
 
 Snake was long and brown and his yellow eyes pierced the other animals and they shunned him. 
 
 `` You crawl in the dirt all day,'' said Hare, `` so dirt you are!'' 
 
 Snake resented his nature. It was true, he could n't deny it. Horse ran on all fours; Hawk flew in the air, noble, over the others; even the lazy Toad hopped and swam. 
 
 `` It is not so bad!'' cried Slug. `` You can be friends with me.'' 
 
 Snake was unimpressed. He did n't want to be friends with Slug, the slimy clout, he wanted to be with the other animals. One night, when the moon was full, Snake awoke, his yellow eyes shining like two pins creasing the black, and he hatched and formulated a plan. 
 
 The following day, Cow was walking peacefully down the rolling hills when she saw a whole cluster of animals, gathering around. She went over to the group to see what they were gawking at. 
 
 They were saying things like: `` Amazing!'' and `` Splendid!'' and `` How did you do that?'' 
 
 So Cow pushed through the crowd and was amazed to see Snake in the middle, showing off his beautiful black new wings. `` Why, Snake!'' she said. `` They are so elegant.'' 
 
 `` Thank you,'' Snake said. `` They really are, are n't they?'' 
 
 None of the animals noticed that Raven, however, was missing. 
 
 The following day, another crowd had gathered around Snake. Not only did his beautiful black wings have a particularly lovely sheen that day, but he now had four delightful, strong legs, white, and furry. Again, the animals cried in delight and pleasure, and they all played together, Snake running and hopping behind, occasionally soaring, and hissing with pleasure. 
 
 And no one noticed Hare was gone. 
 
 The third day, Snake was larger. Much larger. Not only did he have his black wings and his furry feet, he was now almost as large as Dog, and he had antlers sprouting out of his head like Deer. The animals looked at each other disconcertingly. Something was, indeed, very wrong. 
 
 `` We must to something about Snake!'' cried Pig. 
 
 `` Easy. We will eat him,'' said Bear. 
 
 `` Nonsense. You could never catch him,'' remarked Eagle, `` For he flies and jumps far too quickly.'' 
 
 They argued and bickered for ages until a small *harumph! * came from the corner. They turned, and Cat was there, licking her paw. She looked at them all with a grin and large, emphatic eyes. `` I have a plan.'' 
 
 Snake was delighted to find out that he had been invited to the animal's finest picnic - held, naturally, in his honor. He had just finished adding some lovely fins - oh the waters he could swim in now! - and he was in a spectacularly good mood. He flew over to the field beside the river, and was surprised to find no one there. 
 
 He frowned. `` Hello?'' But there was no response. Afar, he saw a mound of food, filled with pastries and cheeses and all sorts of delights, and his long tongue began drooling, and he hopped over. 
 
 Suddenly, the ground beneath him fell, and he plopped down into a small hole far, far below. When he tried flying, it did no good, for there was not enough room for him to spread his wings. 
 
 `` Let me out!'' he yelled. 
 
 Cat grinned down over the hole. `` See you in a long time, friend,'' she said, and purred with a particularly sardonic twinge. 
 
 Two weeks later, the animals gathered round the hole. In it was a very angry Snake, and just a snake, with no wings, nor legs, nor fins, beside an old, desiccated, abandoned snake skin, full of all those things. He hissed and cried. 
 
 Snake never took anyone's parts again, and the animals whose bits had been stolen had soon been found ( under the roots of an old tree, constricted and bound ), and their parts replaced. Snake slid through the dirt, and he eyed the other animals from the dirt and the ground and he hissed some more. He was rather a solitary animal since then. 
 
 The end.
