A friend in need

It happened not very long ago. But when youre a snail, days move at snails pace, too. So, if
you were to ask our friend the snail when this happened, shed tell you, it was y-e-ars ago
Well, to get on with our story... In the shade of a cool, damp log, snoozed a shy snail. She
wasnt alone in her cosy home, oh no. She had company. There was a slug the snail called
Cousin Glug because, you see, snails and slugs are part of the same family. Now, since they
both lived on land, they didnt know, of course, that they had other cousins in the ocean!
Cousin Glug called our snail Sister Slither Slith, for short because she left a silvery wet trail.
Slith was too polite, of course, to tell him that he did the same, its just that he didnt look
behind him when he moved!
Slither snoozed through the day in the shade of the fallen branch. She knew she was safe there
from hungry birds that watched the ground with beady eyes. And when the day went to sleep
taking most of the birds with her to dreamland, Slither crept out her two eye-stalks nervously to
check if all was safe.
Then, she inched her way along, stopping by a juicy stalk. Munch, munch, munch. Sleeping all
day made her hungry! Cousin Glug joined her, and it was a bit of a race. He waited for Slither to
halt by a stalk and overtook her.
Snails pace! he laughed, looking back at poor Slither trying to catch up. Slither waited her
chance. At the next plant, as Glug dug into a juicy leaf, she took off. A few steps down, she
laughed, Id heard of a sluggish creature. Now, Ive met one!
That bothered Glug. He had never learnt to take a joke and so, he thought out ways to run
down Slith. Imagine moving around with your home on your back! he giggled.
A ripple of rude laughter went around the ants and the dragonflies and the mites. Poor Slith
looked rather uncomfortable. And it even slows her down, continued Glug, munching through
a mulberry leaf. Now, if youre slow, you cant run from trouble, can you?
Slith was silent. She wished she could tell them that she couldnt help being the way she was,
just as Glug couldnt help being without a shell. Of course, sometimes, she wished she could fly
like the butterfly, and chirp like the birds or nod in the breeze like the flowers. But most of the
time, she was happy being a snail and thankful that she could curl into her home when she felt
tired.
One night out, Slith was happy when Glug finally announced it was time to get home. He led
the way while she trailed along.
As they turned the last corner, Glug gasped. Whats happened? he asked the crowd of
weeping, wailing, waiting, ants and centipedes, millipedes and earthworms. Look, sniffled a
centipede, pointing to what was home when they left, Our homes gone.
Did an elephant carry it away? asked Slith.
Did the tiger stamp it down? squealed Glug.
And where did all this dust come from? wondered Slith, staring at a heap of powder where
their log home stood.
Its the woodlice, wailed queen ant. Id been telling them to move on, but would they listen?
They chewed up their own home.

And ours! wailed the crowd.

Where do we go now? whimpered Slith, looking at Glug.
Fancy that. Youve got your home on your back. I should be the one to worry. And to tell you
the truth, I AM worried, sniffled Glug, bursting into tears.
It would soon be morning and the hungry birds would be out. They didnt have much time to
act! Lets set out looking for a new home, said Slith, touching Glug with her eye stalks. And
so what if I carry my own home. Im not leaving you. Youre my friend!
Glug gaped. How kind of Slith, he thought, after hed teased her so often about her home! They
set off. For the first time, Glug waited for Slith to keep up with him. It took a while before they
found another log of wood rather like their old home.
As they tucked in, nuzzling against each other, Glug gave Slith a tired smile.
Youre a brick, Slith, he whispered.
Not at all, she grinned, Im a snail. And youre a slug!