nce upon a time, in a wild field, there was this nonpoisonous snake. It seemed he had everything going for him. In the spring and summer, the sun shined a lot where he lived, and he spent his days catching grasshoppers and reading books.

The snake sometimes liked to take a trip out of the field and take rides on the local amusement park's roller coaster.

The snake even took up skydiving. He did it without a parachute, figuring that it was okay since he had no arms and legs to break.

Though everything he did was a lot of fun, the snake soon realized towards the end of one summer that the fun would have to end because fall and winter were coming, and it would be too cold for him to have fun, and he would instead have to spend the cold days of the fall and all of the winter hibernating, which snakes do during those times. The snake, however, wondered if there might be some way to extend his fun-filled days even through the cold days of the fall and all of the winter.

The snake started looking for a job so he could afford to buy a sweater. To find employment, the snake looked in the newspaper, and, after a few minutes of searching, found a job listing for a bicycle tire. The snake felt qualified, since he was long and skinny, so he decided to see if he could get the job.

Because of his great skill and knowledge, the snake got the bicycle-tire job. He was able to hold on to it too, because he never went flat.

However, the snake found the work rather unpleasant and quit as soon as he thought he had enough money. With some of his currency he bought himself a sock to use as a sweater. He was stoked! Now he would be able to do stuff all winter long because the sock would keep him warm.

Fall came, the leaves started falling, and the temperature was dropping. Soon it was rather cool. The snake, being cold, then smugly put on his sock. After trying it on, the snake was dismayed to find out that he remained cold. He went to the Internet to find out why. Using a search engine, he did a search on reptiles and warmth, or something like that, and he discovered that reptiles don't produce body heat. Applying his own reasoning, the snake figured that since he was a reptile and thus didn't produce body heat, the sock was never warmed up when he wore it. That's why, he concluded, that he was cold even when he was wearing the sock. The snake was right. Well, it seemed for a while to the snake that he would be spending the winter hibernating after all.

The snake, however, did some brainstorming. The snake was once a student, and in school he took a course in electronics, so it occurred to him to electrically warm the sock. He then went to an electronics store to purchase electronic components. He put them together using his knowledge of circuit design. To make things go quickly, he used a CAD program to help him map out the circuit schematic and to make the circuit board pattern.

Eventually the electric sock was done. The snake went out and about with his new electric sock. Other snakes noticed.

Soon many snakes were asking for a sock as well. There were a lot of cold snakes, but not many of them knew much about circuit design. Thus, this snake's sock was in demand. With his leftover cash he bought a few packs of socks, of different colors to give his customers choices. He hired on a few snakes to help him make and ship the sock units. He hired accountants and secretaries to handle the administrative portion of his electric-sock business, such as pricing, billing, and payroll. He hired a Web designer to run the company Web site.

So, how did the snake workers actually make the electric socks? It turns out that when it comes to snakes doing manufacturing, several tails are better than one. You see, one snake's tail can hold something to which a part is to be applied while another tail holds the part steady while yet another tail actually hammers, screws, solders, or glues the part in place. If it helps, snakes will also use their mouths. However, it is still difficult for snakes to manufacture stuff by tail and mouth. That's why snakes rely so much on industrial automation.

Of course, there are drawbacks to the snakes' implementation of industrial automation. For instance, much of it currently requires the use of fuels such as coal and oil, and combustion of these fuels releases pollutants which poison the air, making it harder for snakes and wildlife, such as birds and people, to breathe.

Snake industry in general has another drawback, which is that the products of snake industry are often surrounded by wasteful packaging. Not only that, but often the products and packaging are made of non-biodegradable substances.

To help combat environmental problems resulting from manufacturing, snakes are turning to environmentally friendly solutions. For instance, snakes are increasingly relying on solar, wind, and nuclear-fusion power. (Power derived from nuclear fusion is relatively safe compared to nuclear-fission power, and there is an almost limitless supply. It is interesting to note that whereas snakes have nuclear-fusion power plants, people, at the time of this writing, due to a lack of technological capability, have yet to develop them.) Also, snakes are using more biodegradable substances in their products and packaging, they are using less packaging when possible, and there is an aggressive campaign going on in the snake community to get snakes to recycle.

The snake's recycling symbol, by the way, is the snake itself, in the shape of a circle. This symbol was suggested by the snake of our story. He came up with it while remembering the days when he had a job as a bicycle tire. He persuaded other snakes to adopt this symbol by saying that since their bodies can easily make circles, that they are an excellent symbol for recycling. The reason for this, he explained, is that the word recycling has the Greek word kyklos in it, which means circle in English, a language which a large percentage of snakes can hiss these days.

Now snakes don't need to hibernate during the cold days of the fall and during the winter like they used to. They instead go skiing, snow boarding, and gambling. They even have begun celebrating Christmas, a holiday they love because they can give and receive presents, and eat and drink lots of goodies. Thanks to the electric sock, snakes are living the good life, and are some of the happiest animals on earth, even during the winter. This is all thanks to one nonpoisonous snake with a good idea. Well, since this snake also liked to live it up in these ways, he was never bored or tired all of the cold days of the fall and during the winter. He was a happy, happy snake. Don't you love happy endings?