The Man and the Snake
A man is bitten by a snake while walking through a forest. He tries to remove the fangs but they are too deeply embedded. The venom begins to take effect and he becomes disoriented. As he lies on the ground, he sees a snake approaching him, its body raised off the ground as if it's about to strike again.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1866 · Genre: Horror, Psychological Fiction, Gothic Fiction · 4 chapters · 2,906 words
First lines
It is of veritabyll report, and attested of so many that there be nowe of wyse and learned none to gaynsaye it, that ye serpente hys eye hath a magnetick propertie that whosoe falleth into its svasion is drawn forwards in despyte of his wille, and perisheth miserabyll by ye creature hys byte.
Stretched at ease upon a sofa, in gown and slippers, Harker Brayton smiled as he read the foregoing sentence in old Morryster's Marvells of Science. "The only marvel in the matter," he said to himself, "is that the wise and learned in Morryster's day should have believed such nonsense as is rejected by most of even the ignorant in ours."
What this Textopian page supports
The Man and the Snake is listed on Textopian as a short story by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1866 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Ambrose Bierce
- Date: 1866 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Horror, Psychological Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Fantasy, Satire
- Length: 2,906 words
- Structure: 4 chapters, 28 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Man and the Snake by Ambrose Bierce
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Man and the Snake?
- How does this short story by Ambrose Bierce fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Horror first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Garden Of Death by Oscar Wilde
- Squire Tobys Will by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
- The Haunted Mind by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Shadow by Edgar Allan Poe
- The Outsider by H. P. Lovecraft
- A Diagnosis Of Death by Ambrose Bierce
Genres
- Horror — The story evokes fear and dread through the presence of a snake and the psychological tension experienced by the protagonist.
- Psychological Fiction — The narrative explores the inner thoughts and fears of the main character, focusing on his mental state and reactions to the snake.
- Gothic Fiction — The setting and themes reflect elements typical of Gothic literature, including isolation, the uncanny, and a sense of foreboding.
- Fantasy — The story incorporates surreal elements, such as the snake's mesmerizing eyes and the protagonist's hallucinatory experiences.
Tags
Fiction · Short Story · Supernatural Fiction · Mystery · Thriller · Psychological Thriller · Symbolism · Allegory · Parable · Philosophical Fiction · Existentialism · Absurdism
Contents
- CHAPTER I
- CHAPTER II
- CHAPTER III
- CHAPTER IV