Jen took the grandkids, Tia and Kyle, to the Tyler zoo to see the animals and other critters, including snakes. One of them mentioned coral snakes and it brought to mind the time, when I was in high school, that a coral snake got loose in a crowded class room.
A girl had found a pretty little snake, put it in a jar, and brought it to school to show it and let her friends pet it. Someone identified the snake as the very poisonous coral snake. As students were going to their rooms after lunch break, the reptile was brought into the room where biology was taught and various creatures were preserved in glass cases. The teacher, Mrs. Baskerville, surrounded by curious students, placed the jar on her desk and began to pour in formaldehyde. The little snake, which had been quiescent, exploded out of the jar onto the desk, writhing and spinning furiously.
Pandemonium ensued as students screamed and ran. I was not by the desk but I was in a position to see everything. The teacher dropped a heavy book on the snake but the creature was strong enough to throw the book off. Mrs, Baskerville remained calm and added books unil she had it under control and back in the jar. When we have class reunions someone is sure to bring this up, and it seems that all of our class was there.
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