</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Jim, I never set one out to surprise anyone, but I did take just a little snake to school one day. One of the female teachers wanted to know what it felt like, but every time she'd start to touch it with one finger, it would move and she'd jerk her hand back, so when she looked away, I just laid it across her arm. I would have never thought about her being able to scream that loud. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif )</font>
My mother was one person who would lose all control of bodily functions if she was scared by a snake. Since she was so frightened of them, I knew there would be heck to pay if I ever turned one loose on a teacher and word got back to her.
I did take an envelope marked "snake eggs" into class one day when I was in junior high. I made a U-shape out of a piece of coat hanger and stretched a rubber band between the legs of the "U" with a button threaded on the rubber band. I wound up the button on that rubber band nice and tight and slipped it down into the envelope so it would stay in place.
I put it on top of my desk and waited for someone to ask to look at the eggs. I got my toy taken away from me after several kids almost came unglued when they just started to open the envelope, and that button unwound with a loud buzz/rattle. I think I've seen something similar sold in a novelty store. I can't remember where I got the idea, but it sure worked. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
