Vocabulary Focus:
- Reptile
- Rarely
- Forbid
- Logical
- Exhibit
- Proceed
- Precaution
- Extract
- Prior
- Embrace.
- Valiant
- Partial
How do the Indian snake charmers handle those live poisonous reptiles without being poisoned? Visitors to the Hopi Indians rarely leave the reservation without asking. Because Indians forbid any white person from taking part in such a ceremony, scientists could come to one logical answer: before the Indians exhibit the snakes, they proceed to remove the fangs. Yet some scientists verify the fact that all the snakes have fangs. They have a different theory. The Indians take an important pre-caution: they extract most of the poison prior to the snake dance. Now the Indian can embrace the snake without being poisoned. He will appear valiant because he knows that the snake has only a partial supply of its deadly poison.
- Reptile: Reptil, hewan melata, binatang bersisik
- Rarely: Jarang, tidak sering, tidak biasa
- Forbid: Melarang, mengharamkan, membatasi
- Logical: Logis, masuk akal, rasional
- Exhibit: Pameran, peragaan, tampilan
- Proceed: Melanjutkan, meneruskan, berlanjut
- Precaution: Tindakan pencegahan, langkah pencegahan, tindakan pengamanan
- Extract: Mengekstrak, menarik, memperoleh
- Prior: Sebelumnya, sebelum, yang lebih dulu
- Embrace: Pelukan, ciuman, merangkul, menerima.
- Valiant: Berani, gagah, pemberani
- Partial: Sebagian, tidak lengkap, tidak sempurna.
The Valiant Reptile
It was a rare sight to see a reptile in the museum. Most of them had been extinct for centuries, and the few that remained were kept in secret facilities. But this one was different. It was a valiant creature, with scales that shone like metal and eyes that pierced the soul. It had been captured by a team of explorers who had ventured into the forbidden zone, where the radiation levels were still too high for humans. They had taken every precaution to protect themselves, but they had not expected to encounter such a beast.
The reptile was put on exhibit as a curiosity, a reminder of the past that had been lost. People came from all over the world to see it, marveling at its size and strength. But no one knew what it was thinking, what it was feeling. It was trapped in a glass cage, surrounded by noise and light. It could not proceed with its natural life cycle, could not hunt or mate or roam. It was isolated and lonely, longing for freedom.
One night, a young girl named Lila snuck into the museum. She was fascinated by the reptile and wanted to see it up close. She had a logical mind and wanted to learn more about it. She had read every book and article she could find, but they did not satisfy her curiosity. She wanted to touch it, to talk to it, to understand it.
She found the reptile’s cage and approached it cautiously. She saw that it was awake, staring at her with curiosity. She felt a connection with it, a bond that transcended species. She reached out her hand and pressed it against the glass. The reptile did the same, mirroring her gesture. Lila smiled and whispered, “Hello.”
The reptile responded with a low growl, but not in anger or fear. It was a sound of recognition, of acknowledgment. Lila felt a surge of emotion and decided to do something daring. She looked around and saw that there was a small opening in the cage, where the staff would extract blood samples from the reptile. She knew it was dangerous, but she did not care. She wanted to free the reptile, to help it escape.
She opened the hatch and crawled inside the cage. The reptile watched her with interest but did not attack her. It sensed her intentions and appreciated them. Lila reached for the lock that secured the cage door and tried to open it. She did not have the key, but she had a hairpin that she hoped would work.
She inserted the hairpin into the lock and twisted it around, hoping to find the right combination. She heard a click and felt the lock loosen. She pulled the door open and looked at the reptile with excitement.
“Come on,” she said. “Let’s go.”
The reptile nodded, and followed her out of the cage. They ran through the museum, dodging security guards and cameras. They reached the exit, and saw a car waiting for them outside. It was Lila’s father, who had helped her plan this escape.
He was a scientist who worked at one of the secret facilities where they kept other reptiles. He had been studying them for years, and had developed a respect and admiration for them. He had learned their language, their culture, their history. He had also learned that they were not mindless animals, but intelligent beings with emotions and dreams.
He had been contacted by the reptile in the museum through telepathy, a skill that only some of them possessed. The reptile had told him its story, its plight, its desire to be free. He had agreed to help it, and had enlisted his daughter’s aid.
They got into the car, and drove away from the museum. They headed for the forbidden zone, where they hoped to find other reptiles who had survived.
Lila sat next to the reptile in the back seat, holding its claw in her hand. She felt its gratitude, its affection, its trust.
She smiled and said,
“We did it.”
The reptile smiled back and said,
“Yes.”
They embraced each other as they drove into the night.
