NCERT Class 5 EVS A Snake Charmers Story

2. A Snake Charmer’s Story

I am Aryanath

I can do something special which I am sure none of you can do! Do you know what? I can play the been! You must be surprised. Yes, I can make snakes dance by playing the been. I have learnt this art from my family members. We people are known as Kalbeliyas.

My grandfather Roshannathji was famous amongst our people. He could easily catch many poisonous snakes. He tells me many stories about his past. Come, listen to his story in his own words– 

Dadaji remembers From the time of my grandfather and great grandfather, we have always been saperas (snake-charmers). Snakes have been an important part of our life. We used to move from village to village carrying our snakes in bamboo baskets. Whenever we stopped in a village, a crowd would gather around us. We would then take out our snakes from our baskets.

Even after the show, people would stay on. They knew that in our tinbox there were many types of medicines for them. We made these medicines from plants collected from the forests. I had learnt all this from my grandfather. I felt nice that I could help people with my medicines even if doctors and hospitals were far off. In return, people would give us some money or foodgrains. In this way we could manage our life.

Sometimes, I was called to places where someone had been bitten by a snake. From the marks of the bite I tried to find out which snake had bitten the person. I would then give a medicine for that. But I have not always been on time to help. As you know, some snake bites can even cause death on the spot. But most of the snakes are not poisonous.

Sometimes, when some farmers would come running for help shouting “snake, snake”, I would catch that snake After all, catching snakes was something I had been doing since my childhood. Oh, those were the good days. We could help a lot of people in many ways. We also entertained them. It was not like today when everyone watches TV for entertainment. When I grew older, my father taught me how to remove their poisonous teeth (fangs). He also taught me how to close the tube of poison in the snake’s mouth. 

Think and tell 

• Have you ever seen anyone playing a been? Where?
• Have you ever seen a snake? Where?
• Were you scared by it? Why?
• Do you think all snakes are poisonous?
• In chapter 1 you read that snakes do not have ears which you can see. Can the snake hear the been or does it dance when the been moves? What do you think?

Please refer to attached file for NCERT Class 5 EVS A Snake Charmer’s Story