The Snake and the Rat

In the Indian fable of The Snake and the Rat, the rat is put in the snake's basket as food. The rat tells the snake that she will help the snake escape so he can eat more delicious food. As per the rat's instructions, the snake closes its eyes and lets the rat climb on his head. The rat chews a hole in the basket and climbs out silently. The snake eventually opens his eyes and climbs out too. He is hungry so he decides to eat the rat anyway. He finds the rat's home, but can't fit in. He asks that she please come out so he can thank her. The rat wisely says, "I am not your friend, We are enemies and you will eat me." The lesson is that we must sometimes make a truce with an enemy for larger goals.

I wanted to make a game. So I made a snake in a basket and a rat that has a few holes it can enter through. The LED comes on when the rat comes into contact with the snake's head. The contact between the snake and the rat complete the circuit. So the goal is for the mouse to get on the snakes head so it can climb back out. I originally had the rat in her hole with the snake coming in, but that didn't fit the fable.

Materials used: clear plastic food container black electrical tape wire to stabilize rat two connecting wires two leads with alligator clips 9V battery green LED

Diagram

Recreated what we did in class

Put it in the "basket"

Sat on the snake's head

I wish I had had something that was not clear so the snake wasn't seen. For symbolic reasons I wish the rat could be positive charge and the snake negative or vice versa, but that would just short everything out soooo.