Don't Go Snipe Huntin'

   Taking someone Snipe Huntin' is one of the oldest tricks, from these Kentucky hills.  Snipes are shore birds and do not live in Kentucky.  When we were growing up, my brothers were always wanting to take someone Snipe Huntin', they'd give them a bag, and take them out into the woods or field, and tell them to hold the bag while they ran the Snipes into it.  Then my brothers would sneak back to the house, and leave the one holding the bag.  Sometimes they would hold the bag for an hour or more, before coming back to the house, mad. 
   Of course my brothers had a big laugh.  My brothers weren't the only ones that pulled the Snipe Huntin' trick, most of the neighborhood boys got in on it too.  Years ago there wasn't much to do for intertainment, so often mountain folk came up with their own forms of amusement.
   Recently I heard a couple of young country boys, trying to convince a young city boy to go Snipe Huntin', I let it go, until they started making plans on what time to meet.  I told the city boy about the joke, he thanked me and told me not to worry, that he would probably go with them, but he would leave them, before they had a chance to leave him.  I don't know how it turned out, but he was warned. 
   Snipe Huntin' is meant to be all in fun, but It's probably not much fun for the one left holding the bag.