Treachery


The Italian workman in the West was warned to look out for rattlesnakes.

He was assured, however, that a snake would never strike until after

sounding the rattles. One day, while seated on a log, eating his lunch,

the Italian saw a rattlesnake coiled ready to strike. He lifted his legs

carefully, with the intention of darting away on the other side of the

log the moment the rattles should sound their warning. But just as his

feet cleared the top of the log, the snake struck out and its fangs were

buried in the wood only the fraction of an inch below the Italian's

trousers. The frightened man fled madly, but he took breath to shriek

over his shoulder:



"Son of a gun! Why you no ringa da bell?"



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