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Flash! Read all about it. Bimbala Das falls in love with a snake. We communicate in peculiar way, Das tells reporters. Das is 30. She has decided to marry the cobra. It is to be a traditional Hindu wedding. It is attended by 2000 people. Bimbala Das wears a silk saree. The cobra--alas--is a bit shy and does not appear for the ceremony. A brass replica of the groom stands in its place. Truth is stranger than aliens copulating in free-fall in outer space, mutters a reader of this story.
Ohiophagus hannah: King Cobra. A snake that eats other snakes. Ohiophagus: A Latin word meaning "snake-eater". King Cobra ... the longest venomous snake in the world ... and the most feared.
Ancient Egypt: Cleopatra summons a servant. She wants an asp brought to her. Asp: an Egyptian Cobra ... a symbol of divine royalty. She would allow it to bite her and she would become immortal. She made a mistake. The moral: Don't allow yourself to get bit in the asp ... or for that matter ... by an asp.
Got a headache? No aspirin around? Wear a snakeskin around your head ... poof! ... headache gone. Another important bit of info ... never compare the length of a snake to the length of your arm or your arm will immediately be covered with scales. I extrapolate. Never compare the length of a snake with any part of your body you do not want covered with scales.
Snakes never die before sundown. True folks. You can chop one up into many pieces ... but until the sun sets ... the snake will live. Unless of course you spit on it before having eaten ... in which case the snake will die instantly. Truth is indeed stranger than aliens copulating in free-fall in outer space.
So where does all this knowledge bring us you may well ask. Well here's the thing of it. I have a pair of granulated gold cobra earrings from India to show you. Stunners ... to say the least. And I feel I would be remiss if I didn't give you some invaluable lore before showing you the beauty of my asp.
For those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits...may I direct you to my home page at
And there ya have it. That's it for this week folks. Catch you all next week. Benjamin Mark
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