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He turned away, went out through the sash-door of the study; and as he passed towards the fields under the luxuriant chestnut-trees, I heard his musical, barbaric chant, the song by which the serpent-charmer charms the serpent, sweet, so sweet, the very birds on the boughs hushed their carol as if to listen. See Sir Humphrey Davy on Heat, Light, and the Combinations of Light
If he meets with an unfriendly reception in a hut, he brings ruin to the inmates; but if he is hospitably entertained, he brings good fortune and prosperity. If a serpent-charmer kills a cobra, he loses for ever his power over snakes. It is natural that a creature which is treated with such reverence must multiply excessively. About twenty thousand men are killed annually in India by snakes.
As the serpent-charmer of India is compelled to extract the deadly teeth of his venomous prey before he is able to handle him with impunity, so the slaveholder must strike down the conscience of the slave before he can obtain the entire mastery over his victim. It is, then, the first business of the enslaver of men to blunt, deaden, and destroy the central principle of human responsibility.
Thereupon Ali picked up the reptiles and, thrusting them back into the bag, stretched out his hand and caught hold of the end of the purse. The rings again rang and the bells and rattles jangled, and Zurayk cried, "Wilt thou never cease to play me tricks? Now thou feignest thyself a serpent-charmer!"
He turned away, went out through the sash-door of the study; and as he passed towards the fields under the luxuriant chestnut-trees, I heard his musical, barbaric chant, the song by which the serpent-charmer charms the serpent, sweet, so sweet, the very birds on the boughs hushed their carol as if to listen. See Sir Humphrey Davy on Heat, Light, and the Combinations of Light
I had hardly spelled out my own suspicion, when to the measured beatings of the tom-tom, gradually becoming faster, and with a low, weird, tuneless chant, like the voices of the forest, the Indians began to tread a mazy, winding pace, which my slow eyes could not follow, but which in a strange way brought up memories of snaky convolutions about the naked body of some Egyptian serpent-charmer.
Her performance being finished, the bayadere was succeeded by others, each of whom appeared to have her specialty one imitating by her postures a serpent-charmer; another quite unequivocally representing a man-charmer; another rapidly executing what seemed an interminable pirouette.
I drew closer and closer to him, and murmured when he paused, "Is not that a love-song?" "No;" said he, "it is the song by which the serpent-charmer charms the serpent." Increased intimacy with my new acquaintance did not diminish the charm of his society, though it brought to light some startling defects, both in his mental and moral organization.
As for the reward thou promisest me, I liken thee therein to the serpent that fled from the charmer. A man saw her affrighted and said to her, "What ails thee, O serpent?" Quoth she, "I am fleeing from the serpent-charmer, who is in chase of me, and if thou wilt save me and hide me with thee, I will make fair thy recompense and do thee all manner of kindness."
I drew closer and closer to him, and murmured when he paused, "Is not that a love-song?" "No;" said he, "it is the song by which the serpent-charmer charms the serpent." Increased intimacy with my new acquaintance did not diminish the charm of his society, though it brought to light some startling defects, both in his mental and moral organization.
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