Have you ever seen a python through naked eyes? Where did you see it? In a zoo? You are just kidding those are just tamed pythons.You can just play with them without thinking about tomorrow whether you will be still alive and kicking or not.  I mean the real heavy and fierce reptile that could be 6 to 12 metres long or more . Also it can enjoy meal from small and larger animals such as baboon rabit or buffalo here is the story about it.

Once up on a time  in Janies farm in Nothern Zululand by the year  2000 came two   hunters from nearby village-Sea fishing and  Rwi .They were really excellent hunters as they could not come home  without any kill. They were not trapping the animals like other hunters . They enjoyed chasing them with their hunting dogs . For them,killing a big bird would be like nothing as they used to come with  different wild  animal bodies such as wild cats , chewable to some local cannibals who seemed to eat every breathing species ,impala,duiker, porcupines and many more.

That day  was like  a black Saturday  if there was something like that. They were heading back home with  absolutely nothing. All of a sudden one of their ibhansi[thats what we use to call a hunting dog in Zulu]  went behind a huge rock sniffing  then started to bark endlesly. They all rushed to see what it was seeing. Oh lord it was an enormous python. They had never seen a  python before though they used to boast they had hunted them many a times .They both ran backwards but they soon realized  it  was motionless as it was still digesting its prey.They started to throw stones at it. To kill a python used to be a sign of heroism among the Zulus so the chief/ king  would reward the hunter with a goat/ cow but not these days  where each and every cent counts and wildlife laws are too strict.  Someone may   pay a heafty fine or find himself wandering in  cells.

All of their eight dogs started to bark closer to it but keeping a distance incase something unexpected happened. The reptile was gulping any stone that was reaching its widely opened mouth that looked like an opened door  of a garage. Seeing death approaching the python tried effortlessly to move away from its heavily armed killers who were so scared  to come closer like their barking dogs. They were about to give up as it was not showing any sign of dying when  a shock took place . Suddenly it rose  up  like a colossus then all dogs and their owners retreated again  It did grasp by its toothless jaws one of the puppies wich had come closer , not knowing its limitations.Seeing his  tiny dog  languish in the mouth of that animal  with its legs still outside,Seafishing took two or three prestigious steps foward  being desparate for its rescue , forgotten about dying. He clubbed it hard with his molonsthisi [  a rod with a big bolt ] on its head it then released the puppy dumping it  onto  the ground..  It came out exhausted like a recently delivered infant hungry for air, being rushed to resuscitation table by a midwive. It finally got up, shook itself like a duck  coming out of a damm. That  fuelled Sea fishing who was seeing his moment of glory looming. He used his machete as well. But   its skin was closing as quickly as if he was just digging a whole in a sand dune.

It vommited one big female duiker and its infant.  It looked like they had been recently gulped as their carcasses looked fresh. It finally bit the dust. He went on beatng it like a drum until it gave up a ghost . His friend came back to see that astonishing scene. He did not know that Seafishing  could put his life on  line  ,just for a puppy. They carried it  home.Surprsingly  its body started to coil  again when they were crossing the river.They dropped the body  and jumped to the shore but Seafishing thought it could not come back to life so he went to it while floating down and hauled it .They resumed their journey. It did that each time they  crossed the river.

What happened next ? Did he gets his reward?  

Python fight back

Everybody in the village wanted to see that fierce and amazing dead creature Seafishing had put down . It had  white skin spoted with golden tiny marks. Crowd gathered in Seafishing's home to 'feed' their eyes. Seafishing was surrounded by many villagers mainly former and current hunters telling them  how he managed to rescue his tiny dog ,adding some 'sauce'  so it could sound more interesting than what it was.

One man came with a notion of selling the carcass to Nyanga ,the  famous traditional healer. That idea was echoed by Rwi who was like someone  who had not been there as the whole attention was being payed to Seafishing. They lifted it to  the wheelbarrow and took   it down to the healers home ,with a mass crowd following them closely. On the way, they met  Seafishing's pal and advisor  Manzi who sounded  drunk. He joined the bandwagon  after he had heard the story.

Nyanga offered them five rand  for a  carcass of a land python. His main target was a water one so he  said he was just helping them because they wanted money. Manzi said that was  a crap and ridiculous offer. He told Seafishing not to accept that offer . He added that on  next Monday  they would go to town and sell it to the people that  could easily toss five hundred rands on the table without mourning about this and that. They lifted their heavy but precious  dead  python to the wheelbarrow again  then went back home to prepare for the  next  step which was to sell it in town for the higher price . On the way back, argument broke out between Rwi and Manzi. Angrily Rwi decided to quit ,being  totally vexed by Manzi who was poking his nose  to the matter that  had nothing to do with . He took him as a goal digger who would just get something  which was not meant for him. 

On Monday morning they coiled the carcass and put it in a plasticbag then went to town. They started the day by going to to the pub.Coming out of the pub the town was then  full as it used to be irregardless of the day of the week. There was no space to swing a cat .Seafishing had borrowed some money from money lenders with a hope of paying it back  at the end of the day as the python would have been sold by then.They started their mission by showing people what they had in store for them. They displayed it on the pavement like other street vendors. People kept on flocking, passing next to it. Some got interested , asking how it was killed and how much it was but no one seemed wiling to  pay  his last just for a  dead python.They tried and tried. Luck seemed to be away from them.Not even one was offering them  five rand like Nyanga did. Nothing else they could  do. How would he pay back money lenders? They took the last taxi [mini bus] home. Inside  the taxi ,a strong and offensive scent propelled all over the vehicle. Manzi and Seafishing did smell  it as well. No one among the passengers wanted to comment about it but one woman who was a vendor as well finally broke the ice and said "Oh what a smell!." The driver said "May  the owner of that rotten meat try to wrap it up or throw it away as it is causing unbearable situation in this vehicle?" Manzi advised Seafishing to get rid of it.  Seafishing shouted loudly  [being fuelled by alcohol consumption ] and said "I am not  throwing it ! This is my reptile! I fought hard  with it until I triumphed. Who are you to tell me  to lose it! Lose it? no way!". Suddenly taxi stopped  as everybody requested to leave. Seeing that he threw it away before an angry driver came out to teach him disciplinary  lessons.It went quiet again. The car moved again.

What if he didn't kill the snake.Yes it had eaten two antelopes  which they had been hunting for but that's how it should live. It attempted to kill his puppy but who started the fight. Think before you  take any foward step. Beware some money lenders  can turn the rest of your life into misery or even kill you.

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