“If some skeptical spectator wishes to examine the fakir's mouth… What is he going to do?” Raja asked.
“He merely swallows the colorful sugar left.”
“That was one of the most interesting days of my life!” Oliver the Lizard exclaimed. “I’ll never forget it!”
“Me too! What if I actually learned some magic tricks?” Raja said and looked at Amita the Juggler.
“Have you seen Lucky the Snake Charmer among those magicians and fakirs?” Oliver asked the juggler.
“I saw him and his king cobra. Lucky was performing, playing the flute.”
“Do flutes work on snakes?” Raja asked doubtfully.
“No. Snakes are known to have poor hearing. The charm has nothing to do with the music,” the fakir said, “My name is Darvanda. By the way, it means the hood of a cobra!”
“Sorry, Darvanda, we have been so impolite not to ask your name…at the beginning of our talk!” Oliver felt ashamed. “May I ask you why snakes can’t hear the music?”
“They lack the outer ear that enables them to hear music,” Darvanda explained. “But they react to high-pitched flute music. Certain vibrations of the air strike the scales of the skin or the tips of the snake’s ribs.”
“I like the dancing snakes. Their dance is so mystical,” the girl said. “What’s the trick? Why do they dance?”
Oliver frowned and asked, “Is it a special flute?”
“The whole trick is not exactly in the flute!” Darvanda explained. “Swinging to the beat of the music, the cobra follows the movements of the hand, and does not dance at all. The snake charmer must look into the eyes of the snake to catch the moment when it wants to grab his hand.”
“Why do you know so much about snake charmers?”
The fakir smiled and said, “Can you guess, Oliver?”
“I have no clue.”
“Well, I used to be the one! But I’m not doing it anymore because this profession is not only mysterious, but also very dangerous. I like these lithe, graceful creatures that carry enough poison in the tooth to kill an elephant. But I fear them at the same time. A real snake charmer mustn’t fear his snake to tame it. I gave it up and began to study magic tricks.”
“You’ve made the right choice. Your tricks are amazing!” Oliver said. “Look over there! What a gorgeous rug! There is an elephant embroidered in it! Donut would like this rug.”
“I’m not a rug,” the embroidered thing protested, “I’m a carpet!”