HE WON'T ALWAYS VOMIT YOU UP

Kipsigis Christian story

translated by Richard Chowning

There was a family that kept wild animals. The parents had brought the children an elephant, a giraffe, a buffalo, and gazelles. One day the father brought home a large python.

The children stood back from the slithering snake. The snake invited one of the children to go inside his mouth so he could take him on a ride. The child followed the snakes bidding and was swallowed. The python slithered out into the pasture up a tree and back down again. He then returned to the other children and spat out the boy. "It was great fun. It was so warm inside. Try it." Soon all the children were begging to be the next to take a ride in the snake.

The parents were not alarmed. They were sure the snake would always vomit up the children.

One day the father looked out the door of the hut and said, "Wife, where have all the children gone?"

She came to the door for a look. "That old python has a full stomach under the shade of the far tree. He'll soon come vomit them up."

They waited the entire day. The children remained within the snake. By more the snake's stomach was back to normal. The children were gone forever.

Sin and Satan will not always spit us out to try again. There will come a day when it swallows us up. Do not play with the serpent he is a deceiver.