Skunks and Snakes

With the talk of the Skunk Cabbage in my previous post, my first memory of skunks surfaces. 

Back in Utah we were driving off the highway when I first scented a skunk. Then I saw it lying on the side of the road. I wanted it- to save it of course.  I didn't think it was really dead. Yeah, it was roadkill but I still wanted it. Please bear in mind I was about ten and nowadays I don’t go around picking up roadkill.  I got my sister to come with me. My mother knew we were up to something ridiculous but never would have let us leave the house had she known we were going to find that dead, smashed skunk.

We brought a black and white shoe box. It was perfect because it even matched the skunk. We approached the skunk and then realized that its tail wouldn’t fit in the box let alone the whole animal. Also, it was definitely dead. Greatly dismayed at this we began our walk home. Then we saw the boy that my sister liked. He and his friends were taking little gardener snakes and drowning them. I was furious.

“Leave those snakes alone.” I shouted. They were two years younger than me and that meant that they should listen and obey. 

“Why should we?” They taunted dropping another one of the worm sized snakes into the water.

“You give me the snakes and I’ll give you this box and whatever is in it.” I said, holding it carefully as though the contents were of great value.

“Deal.” He handed over the rest of the snakes that were still alive and the bucket of dead ones. I gave him the empty box. “You cheat! Give them back!” 
He didn’t like the box but it was more than fair. We buried the dead snakes and brought the living ones home. I even took one to church with me in my scripture case the next week to show him that I had been taking good care of them. Unfortunately my mother caught me peeking at it during the meeting and made me set him free.  
Outside. 
I have a very reasonable mother. I didn't know it at the time.