"May I devour you?"said the snake,with a promising baitto the girl with the eyesas wide as the sky"May I eat you alive?"it said with a grinas she feigned denialof the darkness within"May I feast on your soul?"it said with a smileknowing full wellthat the girl would imbibe"May I swallow your name?"it said, with the samethe promise of richesthe promise of fame"Yes", she said, with a rapturous hue"Yes," she said, for what else could she do?