STORY 4: The Python

 In a beautiful kingdom once lived a lonely Python. The python lived alone on the outskirts of the town. It had no friends or family and has such had nobody to play with.

The humans were always scared of the Python as they had heard tales concerning it's evilness for generations, so they always avoided the path that leads to the python's house. The Python stay alone for years and years and eventually, it gave up on making any friends so it became what they always feared, evil!.

The Python began attacking anyone that dares to come to the outskirts of the town and all they began lived in fear of it. Well, all except one.

There was a little girl who was fascinated

by the tales about the Python and she wanted to see it for herself. So, one day the little girl left home secretly and took some berries and sweet fruits with her as she headed to the python's house. The Python wasn't at home when she came so she set up the fruits on the table and left.

It was noon when the Python returned and he had a feeling that someone was at his house, he sneakily crawled to the house in order to catch the person unawares. When he got there he found no one but he did see some fruits on his table which made him wonder who the foolish human was that did this.

Thinking it was poisonous, he caught a rat and fed it some of the fruit after waiting for some time, the rat was okay so it began eating the fruit.

"Hmm....So delicious, it has been long

since I tasted something so delicious". The Python ate the fruit happily. The next day the Python left the house as usual and the little girl came again with more fruits and some delicious meals. After she set the table she left again. When the Python came he saw the fruits and was surprised. " The foolish human came again?". He thought as he sat down and ate the fruits and the food.

This routine continued for a week and the Python decided to find out who it was that is responsible for all the deliciousness. He waited at the back of the door to catch the culprit and as usual the little girl came, thinking the Python wasn't at home, she set the table as she usually does.

"Foolish human! How dare you come to this place!". The Python bellowed as he hovered over the little girl. 

Hearing the voice the little girl turned and look at the big scary monster, according to the tales. She smiled at it and said; "You don't look as scary as the book says".

"...?", the Python was baffled at the little girls question. "Are you not scared, I can eat you alive".

"Mummy said it isn't good to be rude to people, so you shouldn't eat them. Hello Mr. Python, my name is Oghosa, nice to meet you".

".....!". The Python looked at the little girl in wonder and amazement, truly children have no fear. He didn't answer her and just directly began eating the fruits she brought.

Oghosa stared at the Python in wonder and observed everything he was doing. "Wow! You have a very big body and mouth too. Do you sleep? In the story they said you don't sleep that you stay awake all night and hunt down the people, you injure them with your razor like fangs and claw at their neck". She said in fanaticism.

"Little girl, you should go. Your parents will start worrying about you". The Python said as he took her out of the house and closed the door.

"Bye Mr. Python, I will come visit tomorrow ". Oghosa said as she ran back to her house.

So the friendship of the Python and the little girl grew as the days passed and the Python stopped hunting the humans.

As fate will have it, the girl got injured one day and the Python tried to relief her pains with some herbs, after applying the herbs the girl fell asleep. The Python didn't want to wake her and he also can't go into the village, they would kill it. So it let the girl sleep and she slept until morning.

At morning, the villagers was already in an uproar when they couldn't find the girl and everyone had one thought, it was the Python .

The parents couldn't allow their only child to be its dinner, so the all readied their forks and charged to the python's house. 

When the villagers got there they shouted for the Python to come out. Not wanting the little girl to wake up, the Python came out and looked at them menacingly. "Filthy humans, what do you want?".

"Give us our daughter you evil beast or else we shall kill you". Oghosa father said.

As Oghosa father talked to the Python, some of the men, stealthily went round the house intending to burn it. When the Python sensed it he hisses heavily and crawled quickly to the back, swallowing the two villagers. This left the rest in shock and in anger that all throwed their forks and weapons on it greatly harming it, so a war started out between the villagers and the pythons.

The python was heavily injured when the girl came out of the hut rubbing her eyes; "Mama, papa! What is going on? Why is everyone fighting?". Oghosa asked in confusion.

In shock, the villagers looked at Oghosa.

__Wasn't she eaten by the Python?__

Oghosa parents ran to her and hugged her.

"Baby are you okay? Where did it hurt you huh? Don't worry daddy won't let it hurt you again".

"Hurt me? Who? Mr. Python?".

"Yes, the Python, we are going to get rid of it once and for all". The man says as he glared at the Python.

"Attack!!!!!!!!", one of the villagers said as the rest rushed to fight it.

"No!! Stop!!". Oghosa said and ran to the Python. She stood in front of it. "I won't let you hurt it".

"Oghosa what are you doing? Come to mummy, the Python will hurt you".

"No, it won't. It saved me, I was playing with it when I fell and hit my head on a stone. It help me and treated me and you guys want to kill it? No way!".

"It helped you? That is impossible".

"It is true daddy, I have been coming here for a long time now. We are friends and I won't let you hurt my friend".

"Oghosa, your friend just ate two people. How are we suppose to let it go ".

Oghosa looked at the Python and said, "Mr. Python remember what I said, it isn't good to be rude to people if you want to be

friends. Can you let them out please?".

The Python looked at the little girl and nodded in response then he vomited the people he swallowed just now and everyone was surprised.

"The Python actually listened to a little girl, "

"I think everyone needs to apologise to Mr. Python. All he wanted was friends but you people labelled him as evil so he became evil. Mr . Python is a good animal and we can all live together in peace". Oghosa said as she stood by the Python.

Everyone had realised their mistakes and they apologise to the Python. They even built a house for him in the main town and invited it to come lived among the humans The people rewarded Oghosa as the Village most outstanding child. They all realised that the Python just wanted friends and from that day thereon, they lived together as one...

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