SNAKE SHOW
By Walt Hudson
Ask any old-time outdoor
showman if he ever saw a
"hoop snake." and he is
bound to grin from ear to
ear. That's because "there ain't no such creature."
even though you might have
run across a banner
depicting one. Like most
grind shows, it was the
sensational bannerline that
brought the marks in.
I once worked in a carnival
that had a snake show
featuring a hoop snake,
among other reptiles. There
were just four snakes in the
show, and each of these
"rare" attractions was
described by an exaggerated
banner.
The banner showing the hoop
snake pictured a huge,
fierce viper with its head
holding its tail to form a
wheel. It was rolling down a
hill, chasing a pretty,
scantily clad gal. She had a
look of horror on her face
and appeared to be screaming
and running for her life.
The second banner showed a
dense jungle scene with a
large, vicious, two-headed
snake hanging down from a
vine, about to attack a
couple of unsuspecting
natives.
The third banner had a
monstrous snake with its
mouth wide open, flashing a
golden fang. It was about to
strike a hunter who was tied
to a tree.
The final banner showed an
almost nude gal with a large
white python draped over her
shoulders. Other, naturally
colored pythons lay coiled
at her feet.
When the marks entered the
exhibit, what they actually
saw were four small cages
sitting on a table. The
"hoop snake" was just a
harmless variety of snake
lying in one of the cages.
When you think about it,
it would be impossible for a
snake to roll around
upright, like a tire.
The two-headed "monster" was
a small garden snake about
ten inches long. It was
alive, and it did have two
heads.
The snake with the golden
fang was another small snake
in a cage. A card attached
to the cage described its
unusual dentition. Of
course, the snake never
opened its mouth and had no
golden tooth.
Finally, in the last cage, a
two-foot albino python was
sleeping peacefully. Alas,
there was no sign of the
half-naked gal.
The exhibit was the creation
of an imaginative showman
and an even more creative
banner artist. And that's
what the marks got for their
quarter.
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