I like children’s stories, especially when they are telling something extraordinary, unusual, or outside of the ‘normal box’. This is a quick one I wrote to go with the water colour painting I did this afternoon.

Pauley and the python. JR Manawa.

From the moment Pauley and the python first met, Pauley knew they would be best of friends. The python however, was not so sure.

Pauley had a room ready for the python when they got home from the reptile centre, she called it ‘the viv’. It would be the python’s very own space. Pauley had everything ready for her new little friend; there was a water bowl full of fresh water, not too warm, not too cold, and heater to keep the python warm. There was a thermostat, a thermometer, and a hydrometer too. The python was not sure what the big words meant, but she knew they were all things to keep the viv warm and comfortable.

The python liked the viv, it was her own quiet space that she did not have to share with anyone. She especially liked the big log in the corner because when she hid under it, Pauley could not see her anymore. This was because Pauley liked to stare often, with her face pressed up against the glass door of the viv. The python found Pauley’s behaviour very confusing.

After a few days, Pauley started to like opening the viv too. It was all a little intrusive, and at first the little python wrapped herself up into a tight ball to hide from Pauley. Once, the python even snapped at Pauley. No, she did not want to play. She wanted to be left alone.

As the weeks passed, the python got used to Pauley’s intrusions, but the only time she really enjoyed it was when Pauley took her out to feed her a delicious little pinky mouse, or a rat pup. The python liked the pinky mice best. Sometimes Pauley didn’t take the python out to feed her, instead Pauley would cuddle the python and play with her. On especially sunny and warm days, if the python was lucky, Pauley would take her outside into the backyard.

“I’m going to call you Kowhai,” Pauley told the python, one sunny afternoon, “because you have such pretty yellow spots.”

The python lifted up her head, Kowhai?

“Yes, koh-fai, because your yellow spots are the same yellow as the kowhai flowers in my home town,” Pauley smiled.

Kowhai the python lifted her head up just a little higher and nudged Pauley’s nose before she curled up beside her in the grass.