Many years ago. The British army stationed in India. A new Lieutenant was assigned for duty and, in conformance with custom, reported to the commanding Colonel and presented his credentials. He stood before the colonel's desk, smartly snapped his heels and announced, "Lieut. Faversham reporting for duty, sir!"
The aging, mustached Colonel, in deep study of papers before him, slowly looked up.
"Faversham! Welcome to India! I've been looking over your papers and taken note of your splendid background. Now, I must tell you one thing, straight away. Sooner or later, during your tour here, you will come upon the dread punji snake. You can't miss it when you see it, Faversham, it's a long yellow snake with black stripes around it. If ever you come upon this snake, do not run from it, for with its superior speed, it shall surely overtake you and kill you. If ever you encounter this snake, you must stand your ground, grab the snake with your wrist, slide your wrist up to its neck, and with your forefinger, pierce its jugular!!"
The Lieutenant, at ramrod straight attention, firmly replied,"Very good, sir!!!"
Three weeks later, the Colonel saw the Lieutenant, covered, from head to toe, with bandages, splints and plaster casts.
"My word, Faversham, what's happened to you, old boy?"
"Sir, just two weeks after our initial meeting of three weeks ago, I was leading a patrol across an open field, when suddenly, darting its head above the knee-high grass, was the punji snake, just as you described it, sir, a long yellow snake with black stripes around it. Remembering your advice, I did not run from it for fear that, with its superior speed, it would surely overtake me and kill me. I rather stood my ground, grabbed the snake by my wrist, slid my wrist up to its neck, attempted to pierce its jugular with my forefinger, and found that I had injected my finger into the a-hole of a tiger!!!"
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