For those of us who live in the City, a snipe hunt is also called a wild goose chase. For some reason we city-folk seem to know what this country saying means but don't know what snipe hunt is.
Well I didn't either - until I went on one. Granted I was maybe 10 or 11 years old. I was visiting my family in Iowa. Rural Iowa to boot. We are talking a very small town of about 1,200 people or so. My male cousins (who are much older and know better), Jimmy and Jeff, decided to have some fun and their sister (who is my age by the way) didn't come to save me at all. I have not forgiven her yet. Maybe in a couple of more years I will think about it.
I was so excited that my cousins decided to pay attention to me and play with me, that when they suggested that I accompany them on this hunt I jumped at the chance. It was October and very chilly out, so they suggested I put on a sweater. Then they thought better of it and went to the coat closet and pulled out sister's jacket. That wasn't enough, so they pulled out one of their coats.
At this point I had been asking what did this creature look like. I didn't want to miss it because this city girl didn't recognize this elusive animal that we were after. I was getting vague answers like it's so big as they spread their hands out about 2 feet or so. It was brown and had some short spikes. I then proceeded in putting on one of their coats (they suggested since it has spikes) along with one of my Uncle Jimmy's big jackets to protect me. Add at least 4 pairs of gloves of various kinds, then came the scarves and big hats. Multiples of each of these. The last piece to add were my Uncle's big work boots. I looked like the Goodyear Tire man. I couldn't put my arm down at all.
As they are explaining what the procedure is (that they are going to take me outside, position me in just the right spot so that when they flush this animal out it will go right into my bag) I am glancing into the adjacent living room where my Uncle Jimmy, Aunt Jesse and my father are all sitting watching TV, reading the newspaper, etc. But it didn't seem that they were paying any attention to any of those things. But, I was way too excited to be going on this adventure to put any thought to that was unusual.
So now it's time to go outside and start this adventure. It's about 30 degrees out and DARK, Dark, dark. Just as my dratty (yes that is a word in my book) cousins opened the door to take me out, my entire family suddenly and rapidly flying out of their chairs, saying "NO NO NO", and "I don't think so", and "Get back here." To be honest it scared me a little and I was so disappointed that I wasn't going this adventure. My Aunt Jesse then proceeded to undo all the work that my dratty cousins had done by peeling off all the layers. All the while it is slowly dawning on me what had really transpired as my (not dratty but RATTY) cousins were laughing and snickering in the corner while receiving evil looks from their father and mine.
I felt so foolish after that, but then that whole event is designed to do just that. I would like to say I am scarred for life after this adventure but in all truth I feel like I had had a rite of passage of some kind. I felt like I was finally one of the family and could now say I was one of them. I still do feel that way.
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