A man plans to prank his wife and 13-year-old son by bringing two non-venomous snakes into their home. He enlists the help of a friend, Jules, who brings the snakes, Apocalypse and Chuck. The man's wife is initially terrified when she discovers the snake in a gift box, but eventually helps her husband and Jules try to prank their son. However, the prank goes awry when the snake escapes and hides in a hard-to-reach location. The family and Jules must work together to retrieve the snake, which they eventually do with Jules' expertise. The prank ultimately backfires, and the man's son even gets to hold the snake, Apocalypse, for $100.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator is planning to prank his wife and son with a snake.
2. He has two snakes, a black snake named Apocalypse and a banded snake named Chuck.
3. The snakes are non-venomous and were born in captivity.
4. The narrator's wife is initially scared of the snake, but eventually warms up to it.
5. The narrator's son is also pranked with the snake, but is initially unaware of the prank.
6. The snake escapes and hides in a hard-to-reach spot.
7. The narrator and his son try to retrieve the snake with the help of a professional, Jules.
8. Jules has experience catching snakes and is able to retrieve the snake.
9. The narrator's son is offered $100 to put the snake around his neck, which he agrees to do.
10. The prank is eventually revealed to be a joke, and the narrator's family is relieved.