Hissing Sid

Mr Noah stretched, yawned, and stepped out on to the back stoep with his first cuppa of the day. The sun was shining, the sea was calm, the birds were singing, and all was well with the world.

As he stood there scanning the sea for the first whales of the new season (a bit optimistic for this time of the year, but that’s Mr Noah for you, forever the optimist), he turned to look at his favourite cat, who was also sitting on the stoep enjoying the warmth of the morning.

“Now then, Sid,” he said, “What are you looking at?”

Sid was silent, sitting rigid and alert, peering into the garden. “I’m concentrating!”

“What are you concentrating on, Sid?”

“Well, you remember how I got my name?”

“Yes, I do,” said Mr Noah. “I chose it, because when you were very small you couldn’t ‘meow’ very well and all that came out was a little hissing sound, so we called you Hissing Sid. But why do you ask?” said Mr Noah.

“Well,” said Sid. “I think I must have found a long, lost relative!”

“Oh yes, and what makes you think that, little Sid?” said Mr Noah with a smile on his face.

“Well, there’s this funny looking thing in the garden hissing just like me, so we must be related in some way.”

Mr Noah casually walked over to see what she was looking at, and as he did so, he spied not more than half a metre away from Sid, crawling though the undergrowth, the biggest puff adder he had ever seen! Before he could utter a warning, out bounced an excited Mango to say ‘hi’ to Sid’s relative.

Mango pushed past and stuck her nose through the wooden fence, wondering whether to invite the snake in for a game and some doggy biscuits when, suddenly, she found herself flying through the air as Mr Noah grabbed her by the scruff in one hand, and Sid in the other, and threw them into the house.

Mr Noah slammed the patio door shut just as the puff adder decided to slither on to the stoep for a closer look around, and they all stood looking through the glass door at the snake – Mr Noah, Mango and Sid. It was huge, well over a metre long and was hissing loudly – very lost, and clearly not a happy chappy. All it wanted to do was get back into the fynbos nearby and away from the Ark!

Then, Mrs Noah came over to see what the three of them were looking at through the door. Wait for it …

“My goodness, do something!” screamed Mrs Noah.

“What exactly do you have in mind?” asked Mr Noah.

Mango barked with excitement.

Sid just said, ”Ah, he DOES sound like me. We MUST be related after all. Perhaps I’ll find him again when Mr Noah lets me out!”