Title and Author: How the Snake Got Poison by Zora Neale Hurston
Setting: African wildlife area
Characters: God, the snake, other varmints
Problem: The snake complains that since he crawls on the ground, everything walks upon him and kills his offspring.
Solution: God gives the snake poison to attack his enemies, but he must use his rattle first to warn them.

Introduction
Folktales often explain aspects of nature. Have you ever wondered why many snakes are poisonous? Or have you ever wondered why the Rattlesnake makes a rattling sound? Zora Neale Hurston, the teller of the story "How the Snake Got Poison," reveals the answers to these snake questions in her rendition of an African folktale.

Sequence of Events:

1. God made the snake and put him in the bushes to ornament the ground.
2. The snake was not happy with his circumstances on the ground.
3. The snake climbs a ladder to talk to God and complain about everything trodding upon him and killing off his generations.
4. God said he didn't mean for the other creatures to be stomping on snakes.
5. God says the snakes need some form of protection and gives them poison to put in their mouths and to use when they are tromped upon by the other creatures.
6. Then the other creatures went up to talk to God. They complain that the snake is in the bushes with poison in his mouth, striking everything that shakes the bushes and killing their generations.
7. God sent for the snake and told him he didn't mean for the snakes to be hitting and killing everything that shakes the bush.
8. The snakes defends himself to God by saying that snakes are down in the dust and have no claws to fight with and no feet to get out of the way. All snakes see are feet coming to trample them, and they think these are the feet of the enemy.
9. God thinks it over and gives the snake a bell to tie to his tail. When the snake hears feet coming, he is to ring the bell and warn the on-comer
10. God says if the on-comer is a friend, he'll be careful and avoid the snake. If the on-comer is an enemy, then the snake may use his weapon of poison.
Ending: So, that's how the snake got his poison and his rattles.
Your written paper must follow the model above, for a possible score of 100 points.