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The Tale of How I Got Hissing Sid!

29 replies

dawngreen · 16/08/2024 21:22

One early morning at 1am my sister rang in a panic apparently she went to make a drink, and a snake was basking on her kitchen floor so she screamed and shut the door. By the time we got there she had phoned 5 ppl for help. We found her ex partner, landlord there who were all terrified of snakes. She had phoned the rspca but no would could help at that time. Then 2 police guys arrived in riot gears It was like keystone cops. The young cop went through her laundry basket to my sisters horror. They poked bumps in her carpet with truncheons. The well built guy went a sickly white, and kept jumping when looking in cupboards. My fella has kept snakes, and kept telling them to look behind the fridge freezer. The young insisted it would not be there. Eventually he was out of ideas so yelled every one stand back I know what I am doing.

My fella insisted that they look where he had suggested so he shined the torch h and the snake came out. His partner was on the table like my sister. My fella said ffs pointed out it was a harmless corn snake, and put it in a box I held. We asked to keep the snake, they looked at us as if we were mad. Turns out a teacher who bred snakes had lost one, and assumed it had died. He came to collect, and found his pet basking in a heated tank. He brought a small tub with baby corn snakes in, and we choose one. I have a feeling they went to work telling a tale of anaconda size snakes.

OP posts:
HauntedbyMagpies · 17/08/2024 00:48

Erm, ok?

LieutenantJumboJr · 17/08/2024 01:04

This reply has been deleted

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Washingmachineslastlongerwithcalgon · 17/08/2024 07:08

😆

dawngreen · 17/08/2024 07:33

Who is bro?

OP posts:
BloodyWolves · 17/08/2024 07:41

I for one really enjoyed this story! I have no idea who hissing Sid is but I’m glad to hear his tale of existence!

CubistViolin · 17/08/2024 07:49

Wasn't Hissing Sid the toy snake who features in one of the murders in PD James’ Original Sin?

Ilovelurchers · 17/08/2024 08:10

The name is from Captain Beaky - vaguely remember this from when I was a child.

I enjoyed the story too - thank you for sharing OP. X

3luckystars · 17/08/2024 08:12

Was this today?

Ilovelurchers · 17/08/2024 08:12

HauntedbyMagpies · 17/08/2024 00:48

Erm, ok?

She's shared it in "chat". The purpose of which is, I guess, just to start a chat about any random stuff you think people might want to chat about? And lots of people like snakes.

HellonHeels · 17/08/2024 08:15

Needs pics please!

CubistViolin · 17/08/2024 08:15

Ilovelurchers · 17/08/2024 08:10

The name is from Captain Beaky - vaguely remember this from when I was a child.

I enjoyed the story too - thank you for sharing OP. X

Ah, thank you — not British and had never heard of this. The ‘Hissing Sid is innocent’ thing makes sense as to why PD Jane’s calls the publishing company snake ‘mascot’ Hissing Sid in a detective novel written in the early 1990s, as the employee who is likely to have named him would be the right age for this reference.

AgnesX · 17/08/2024 08:18

Great story☺️ I've never met a snake in real life so I'm not sure how I'd react.

I'm glad it was a happy ending for the escapee!

dawngreen · 17/08/2024 11:30

I started this thread because its nice to just chat some times. Just tired of joining threads that end up with every one getting upset and arguing. I named my corn snake hissing Sid because he reminded me of my course tutor at the time. My tutor had a very black and white view of things, and if you questioned it that was that. Don't get me wrong he was one of the good guys though.

OP posts:
Ilovelurchers · 17/08/2024 14:46

HellonHeels · 17/08/2024 08:15

Needs pics please!

Yes, I would like to see a picture of him.

Do you know it's a him - can you tell what sex they are? Do they even have a sex, or are they hermaphrodites? So much I don't know about snakes.

I was also interested in the fact that you had all the snake stuff (tank etc) already in your house. You mentioned your fella used to keep snakes - had he recently lost a snake? If so, that is an even nicer element to the story (in a way)

frecklejuice · 17/08/2024 14:50

My 10 year old told dd would have loved finding a snake in the kitchen, she's obsessed with them and watches that snake catcher programme (Snakes in the City) on repeat!

If I knew for sure it wasn't going to kill me then I would happily hold one!

NotStayingIn · 17/08/2024 14:53

I first thought this was the back story to the snake living underneath a woman’s house in Australia.

Love the name Hissing Sid. Glad he makes you happy!

TonTonMacoute · 17/08/2024 15:58

It is a funny story OP, and I say that as someone who recently had a fit of the heeby jeebies when a grass snake got into my utility room.

I particularly like the image of the burly cop looking for something he's really hoping he doesn't find.

Toddlerteaplease · 17/08/2024 16:20

Ilovelurchers · 17/08/2024 08:10

The name is from Captain Beaky - vaguely remember this from when I was a child.

I enjoyed the story too - thank you for sharing OP. X

Oh I Loved Captain Beaky!

WitchDancer · 17/08/2024 16:25

Ilovelurchers · 17/08/2024 08:10

The name is from Captain Beaky - vaguely remember this from when I was a child.

I enjoyed the story too - thank you for sharing OP. X

I remember Captain Beaky well, particularly Hissing Sid. Thank you for jogging my memory of my Dad reading it to me Flowers

wizzbitt · 17/08/2024 16:33

Awww, I liked this story too. Thanks OP

bigdecisionaboutwork · 17/08/2024 16:39

"Reckless Rat cried 'Follow me!'

And ran head first into a tree"

(Only bit I remember of the poem)

fuckingbastard · 17/08/2024 16:45

Nice op.

CrushingOnRubies · 17/08/2024 18:08

Oh I liked this saga. Mumsnet used to be full of stories like this

Deathraystare · 17/08/2024 18:30

How sweet!

I noticed a snake at the hospital I used to work at. It was behind a doctor walking in to our department (Dr not snake!). In the end one of our engineers took it home as he kept snakes. It was a corn snake so not venomous.

dawngreen · 17/08/2024 18:43

I need to sort out my photo albums. But here is a picture

Corn snakes have the ability to rattle their tales like a rattle snake if scared. So if you don't know if they are harmless its scary.

OP posts:
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