I saw a snake and ran away…
Some snakes are dangerous, they say;
But mother says that kind is good,
And eats up insects for his food.
So when he wiggles in the grass
I’ll stand aside and watch him pass,
And tell myself, “There’s no mistake,
It’s just a harmless garden snake!”
Summary
The poet says that he saw a snake in his garden and ran away as he was frightened. He had heard people say that some snakes were very dangerous or poisonous. But his mother told him that the garden snakes were harmless. They ate up insects. She advised him to stand aside and make way for the garden snakes to pass. There was no need to tremble with fear or run away.