In India,people often find snake-charmers and their dancing snakes performing in a market.
When the snake-charmer blows his "magic flute",his snakes,usually two poisonous cobras will first move around,then,raising their terrible beads,twist their ugly bodies,and finally begin to dance with the music.The charmer is playing the flute faster and faster,and the cobras are dancing more and more wildly.The spectators are cheering loudly.The charmer feels so satisfied with his dancers that he steps on the ground rhythmically all the time.
Does a snake really understand music?A group of biologists made an interesting experiment to discover the truth.They covered the eyes of several deadly cobras,and then began to make loud noises by talking,laughing,blowing trumpets and even striking a copper gong,while they themselves kept still in their places.The cobras,however,lay still,as if nothing had been happening.But as soon as one of the scientists moved a few careful steps, the cobras got startled and were ready to strike!
Further experiments showed that snakes have no such ears as other animals have.But they have inner ears,which can not receive any sound from the air,but are very sensitive to any slightest vibration spreading from the ground.
Although a cobra can only turn a deaf ear to music,after a long period of training,however,it can dance with the charmer's rhythmic steps on the ground.As for the flute,it is not used to direct the cobra, but to fascinate the spectators!