I came upon a story recently about a family that allowed their pet python to sleep in the same bed as their little girl. The family became concerned about the snakes loss of weight and took him to the vet, who advised them that it was starving itself so that it could ingest their daughter.....

John O Sullivan, Cork, Ireland

The idea that reptiles have (as the gentleman above said) "no sense of loyalty, compassion or caring" is an outmoded notion. Current research with rattlesnakes shows that adult female siblings rest in closer proximity and engage in more nonaggressive physical contact than do nonsiblings. Further studies have demonstrated that females display more defensive aggression and take longer to retreat to shelter when accompanied by neonates (allowing the neonates to retreat safely). In another study, females were separated from their neonates by a barrier, under 2 conditions -a barrier only the adult could cross, and a barrier only the neonates cuold pass. In both conditions the group consistently ended up together, indicating that females and their neonates actively seek each other's company. Less has been done with adult males.

Crocs and gators display maternal behavior, and in captivity become stressed when separated from companions. Lots of other stuff out there if you look for it.

WS, Seattle , WA

Yeah..this kid's parents deserve the "idiots of the year" award.....this kid is going to be eaten by this snake. If not today, then soon. Gah....bad parenting.

jackson, washington, DC

I see an eventual "Far Side" ending to this story..

mister shabbadoo, Bangor, Maine

And when that monster python crushes that little boy in his sleep, his parents will wonder why. Personally, if the thing kept coming back after I put it in the woods, I would have cut its head off. A parent's job is to protect their children.

Anthony, Philadelphia, PA, America

Perhaps the kid smell like snake pheromones.
I'll be looking for the article describing the comming altercation between the two when puberty hits.

Allan Minns, Troy, New York

A 12 footer that I had for 6 years turned on me one day and tore me up. I had 37 puncture wound in my hand and two of them bruised the bone and became infected.

Felix Olivier, Patterson, Louisiana

The kid's dinner on hold. Just doesn't know it yet. Reptiles have no sense of loyalty, compassion or caring. Sambath is truly going to find himself "inseperable" with Lucky.

scot, ukiah, usa, ca

Obviously junior Lord Voldemort.

Jon Maynard, Lansing, MI, USA

Other Fairy Tales:

Jack and The Beanstalk
Little Red Riding Hood!

Dear little Shambath was plucky.
He played with a python called "Lucky."
That dear little snake caused neither fear nor headache,
'Til the day that lucky "Lucky" ate Plucky!Plucky...just "Lucky!"

Garth Rex, Glendale Heights, USA