A Tongue Twister Tale
Sally Slithers moved to South Hall in September.
“Oh dear, there are too many mice here,” she said. So Sally went to the pet store and bought a great big boa constrictor. She named her snake Sammy. Sammy’s favorite place to sleep was in the bathroom, where he spent many hours munching on mice. Shortly after Sammy Slithers moved in to South Hall, all the mice moved out.
“I like snakes,” said Sally Slithers. She went out and bought more boa constrictors.
One afternoon, several children who lived on Straight Street came to Sally Slither’s house to see the snakes. “My mom hates snakes,” said Saul Schultz Jr., “but she also hates mice. All the houses on Straight Street have mice. It’s a real problem. Maybe we should adopt a snake too.”
“That would be splendid,” said Sally Slithers. She went out and bought some more snakes. Then Sally Slithers put up a sign saying: “Adopt‑a‑Snake! Perfect for catching mice.”
“Merciful Heavens!” exclaimed Suzy Schultz when she read the sign. “Adopt‑a‑Snake! I would rather have the mice!”
Suzy Schultz called the police and complained about Sally Slither’s snakes. A police officer stopped by South Hall and told Sally Slithers that an animal warden was coming to take her snakes away the next day.
“You have too many snakes,” said the sergeant. “That is not safe.”
Sally Slithers exclaimed: “I love my snakes. I don’t want them taken away. I want them adopted.”
When they heard that the animal warden was going to take away Sally’s snakes, Saul Schultz Jr. and several school friends came to South Hall to offer their help.
“We will hide your snakes from the animal warden,” they said. Each child on Straight Street took a snake home in their lunch box. Sally gave Sammy Slithers to Saul Schultz Jr to hide his house.
Early the next morning, screams could be heard up and down Straight Street as mothers found Sally Slither’s snakes. Smith Struthers the animal warden, who had just inspected Sally’s house and found it empty of snakes, ran out into Straight Street to see what was wrong.
Suzy Schultz came stumbling into Straight Street sobbing about a big boa constrictor she’d found in the bathtub.
“Sammy!” shouted Sally Slithers. She raced into the Schultz’s house and found Sammy lying in the bathtub, swallowing a large mouse.
Up and down Straight Street, mothers screamed and begged Smith Struthers the snake warden to save them from the snakes. Just then Sally Slithers stepped outside with Sammy in her arms.
“I’m going to have to take that snake away from you ma’am,” said the animal warden, but he was interrupted by a shout from the Schultz’s house.
“Sally Slithers!” cried Saul Schultz Senior, who was Suzy’s husband and Saul’s father. He raced out the front door and hurried over to Sally. “That snake is wonderful!” Saul Senior exclaimed enthusiastically, “He has swallowed all the mice in our house! We’ve finally found a solution to our mice problem! Is that snake for sale?”
“Sammy Slithers is not for sale,” said Sally Slithers firmly, “but I have other snakes you may adopt from my Adopt‑a‑Snake program.”
Up and down Straight Street, the fathers in each family were making the same discovery. Sally Slithers’ snakes had swallowed all the mice on Straight Street.
Soon, all of Sally Slithers’ snakes had been adopted by the grateful dads. Even the Schultz family adopted a pet snake. Suzy Schultz was so happy with her new pet that she dropped the charges and Sally Slithers was allowed to keep Sammy Slithers her pet boa constrictor.
“But only one snake,” said Smith Struthers the animal warden. Sally agreed.
The people of Straight Street all elected to change the name of their road to Slither Street in honor of Sally Slithers and her pet boa constrictor Sammy. The people of Slither Street have never had a mouse problem again.
Copyrighted content: This is an original story by S.E. Schlosser, who owns the copyright. It may not be reproduced, reprinted or used in any other way without the permission of the author. Teachers may link to or photocopy this story as part of their classwork.
