Folk & Traditional Song Lyrics www.traditionalmusic.co.uk Story of Petey, the Snake 
Story of Petey, the Snake
 This is the story about a poor little snake named "Petey."
 Petey was a snake only so big. Petey lived in a pit with his mother. One day Petey was hissing in the pit when his mother said: 'Petey, don't hiss in the pit, go outside the pit to hiss." So Petey went outside of the pit to hiss.
 Petey was hissing all around when he finally leaned over and hissed in the pit. Petey's mother heard Petey hissing in the pit and said: "Petey, if you must hiss in a pit, go over to Mrs. Pott's pit to hiss in her pit. Petey went over to Mrs. Pott's pit to hiss in her pit, but Mrs. Pott was not at home, so he hissed in her pit anyway. While Petey was hissing in Mrs. Pott's pit, Mrs. Pott came home and found Petey hissing in her pit. She said: "Petey, if you must hiss in a pit, don't hiss in my pit; go to your own pit and hiss."
 This made Petey very sad, and he cried all the way home. When Petey got home, his mother saw him crying, and said: "Petey, what's the matter?" Petey said: "I went over to Mrs. Pott's to hiss in her pit, but Mrs. Pott was not at home, so I hissed in her pit anyway, Mrs. Pott came home and found me hissing in her pit and said: 'Petey, if you must hiss in a pit, go to your own pit and hiss. Don't hiss in my pit.'"
 This made Petey's mother very angry, and she said: "Why that mean old lady. I knew Mrs. Pott when she didn't have a pit to hiss in." 
Author Unknown. 
Copied from the "Shootin' The Breeze' column by Kearney Pearce. 
DC