A NUMBER of psychical researchers, thirsting after occult knowledge, went into a wilderness to seek for the serpent of wisdom. The day was very hot and they became very hungry, so that they would have eaten almost any kind of food, however repulsive, to keep themselves from starvation. At last they espied a serpent of a beautiful green color, with a golden crown upon its head. They caught the snake and resolved to eat it; but they would not eat it raw and alive. So they cut it to pieces. One boiled his piece, another roasted his, and the third attempted to make a stew of it; but, wondrous to relate, whenever a piece was nearly done, it disappeared, and nothing remained but some indigestible bones.
Then the psychical researchers were very much disappointed and wept; when a voice from above spoke to them and said: “He who wishes to come into possession of the truth must learn how to eat living snakes. He must not expect to have the truth killed and dressed up to suit his taste; but absorb the living spirit of wisdom, such as it is.”
[1] [Robert Hutwohl—I have lost my source for this article.]