Long, long ago when the earth was new, great mountains covered the world like a blanket, and tall trees spiked the sky. In this world, there was a deep dark pool, silent and cold. At the bottom of this pool were two snakes. One had thick strongly patterned coils, and the other was smaller and more delicate. Then one day, there was a great storm. A flash of lightning pierced right to the bottom of the pool. The waters parted for a moment. The snakes saw the earth above, full of colors and shapes and feathered creatures. When the waters closed again, the snakes could not forget the beauty they had seen. "We cannot stay in this dark cold pool any longer," they said to each other. "Let us go up and see the earth above." "How will we live on earth?" said the smaller snake. "Will we crawl on our bellies?" "The birds of the air will not laugh at us for being so low," said her friend. "We will not crawl, we will walk!" Very slowly the snakes uncoiled themselves. Close together they began to swim up, up, to the light above.

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