On her way to work one morning

 

Down the path alongside the lake

 

A tender-hearted woman saw a poor half-frozen snake

 

His pretty colored skin had been all frosted with the dew

 

“Oh well,” she cried, “I'll take you in and I'll take care of you”

 

“Take me in oh tender woman

 

Take me in, for heaven's sake

 

Take me in oh tender woman,” sighed the snake

 

She wrapped him up all cozy in a curvature of silk

 

And then laid him by the fireside with some honey and some milk

 

Now she hurried home from work that night as soon as she arrived

 

She found that pretty snake she'd taken in had been revived

 

“Take me in, oh tender woman

 

Take me in, for heaven's sake

 

Take me in oh tender woman,” sighed the snake

 

Now she clutched him to her bosom, “You're so beautiful,” she cried

 

“But if I hadn't brought you in by now you might have died”

 

Now she stroked his pretty skin and then she kissed and held him tight

 

But instead of saying thanks, that snake gave her a vicious bite

 

“Take me in, oh tender woman

 

Take me in, for heaven's sake

 

Take me in oh tender woman,” sighed the snake

 

“I saved you,” cried that woman

 

“And you've bit me even, why?

 

You know your bite is poisonous and now I'm going to die”

 

“Oh shut up, silly woman,” said the reptile with a grin

 

“You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in

 

”Take me in, oh tender woman

 

Take me in, for heaven's sake

 

Take me in oh tender woman,“ sighed the snake