Part 1
A Little Boy Walked A Forest Path Where The Mountain Shadows Fall
And Coiled Beside The Dusty Trail Lay A Rattlesnake Old And Small
The Serpent Raised His Weary Head His Voice Was Thin And Low
Little Boy Please Carry Me Where The Mountain Sunsets Glow
The Boy Stepped Back And Shook His Head, I Know The Kind You Are
If I Lift You In My Arms, Your Bite Will Leave Its Scar
But The Snake Spoke Soft And Trembling, I Am Old And Near My End
Let Me See The Sunset Once, I Will Not Harm You Friend
Part 2
The Boy Stood Long In Silence There While The Evening Shadows Grew
Then He Took The Rattlesnake Though He Knew What Snakes Can Do
Held Him Close Against His Chest As He Climbed The Rocky Way
To The Mountains Quiet Summit At The Dying Of The Day
There They Watched The Red Sun Sinking Through The Pines And Purple Sky
And The Old Snake Whispered Softly, "It Is Good Before I Die"
When The Light Was Gone To Darkness And The Stars Began To Gleam
The Boy Carried Him Back Down Through The Forest Cold And Dim
Part 3
At The Boy's Small Home That Evening
He Gave The Snake A Place To Stay
And A Little Food And Shelter
Till The Breaking Of The Day
In The Morning Came The Question
From The Serpent Old And Worn
Take Me Home Into The Woods
Where I Waited To Be Born
Part 4
So The Boy Once More Believed Him, Held Him Safely To His Chest
Carried Him Into The Forest, To The Place He Loved The Best
But Before The Boy Could Lay Him On The Ground Beneath The Trees
The Rattlesnake Struck Swiftly Like A Whisper In The Breeze
The Boy Cried Out In Sorrow
As The Venom Burned His Breath
Why Have You Done This To Me Now?
You Surely Dealt My Death
The Snake Looked Up And Answered
With A Cold And Knowing Hiss
He Knew What I Was, Little Boy
When You First Picked Me Up Like This?
Outro
