The unexpected visitor

It was about 9'o clock at night and I had to go and close the chickens up, so that they and I could have a peaceful night ( without worries that the mongoose or any other wild cats could come and feast on them while they are asleep). I love this time of the year, when all the baby abbits,chickens and geese are born. You see very proud and busy parents marching their young around, showing them off to the world. There is so much excitement in the air with all these new arrivals, that I thought, why bother to turn the light on. I know my way to the chickens house, I don't need a light. Off I went: bare feet, yes, I didn't even bother to put my shoes on. Feeling rather jolly, I ran down the stairs along a very dark path, and as I got to the door, I heard this deep blowing sound at my feet. Instinctively I knew this was something serious.

I am not sure how I got back to the house so fast. Let's just say I ran in mid-air. I turned the light on, grabbed the torch and called Peter. Neither of us could say a word, there it was, a puffadder eating one of our baby rabbits.At this stage, the rabbit was already halfway in it's mouth. I phoned the snake man, and asked him what am I to do with this snake. He assured me that the snake will laze around the chickens house for at least a week. Reason, it has to digest it's meal first, before it can move on.

The next morning I went down to see if I could find it, and there it was, sleeping in the sun. I'ts tummy bulging.
What I found so interesting, was all the chickens, they were taking turns to see who is this intruder. By the third day, I had enough and I asked the snakeman to come and take it away. When he lifted her up, he said that it is a fully grown female puffadder, and that she is not pregnant.

Apparently, unlike humans, snakes do not eat when they are pregnant.