THE SNAILS' PARTY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23109, 6 August 1938, Page 8 (Supplement)

THE SNAILS' PARTY

By VALERIE SPANNER (13), Original. 'THE garden snails were very excited for they were going to a party. A garden party it was, in Farmer Brown's plot of prize lettuces. Selena, a young snail, was very eager to go, for it would bo her first party.

The moon was bright, very bright, and its silver rays mado the green lettuce patch a sight of green splendour in tho eyes of all the inhabitants of tho Land of the Garden. Selena was there, seated on the crispest of all the lettuces, and beside her was her brother Samuel. Thoy danced and sang, until all of the lettuce patch was a mass of little silver trails. Then came supper, and Selena started to nibble the large lettuce on which she sit, in a very unladylike manner. Samuel helped iier, and between them they spoiled one of the best lettuces in the garden. Suddenly Samuel sighted a light-, and cried, "Is that Glossy Glowworm, coming this way?" "It's far too big for him," said another snail, "and if he heard all tho

noise you're making, ho would put out his light." "Perhaps it's a star," suggested Selena. "A star as low as yonder rhubarb bush. Impossible," said an old snail "And besides, no star ever made that noise," exclaimed another snail. "It moves! It moves! Look it grows bigger every moment." shouted Samuel, jumping up and down in his excitement.

"Lights," said an old snail, "are like birds; they're dangerous. I'm going." He had no sooner spoken when a lantern appeared, and with it, Farmer Brown. The snails were so anxious to get awav that they crawled over and under each other in confusion.

"Snails again," growled Farmer Brown, picking them up in handfuls and transferring them to the large tin which he carried. "1 shan't have one lettuce left. Well, that's a few less, anyway," he added, as he tramped away with tho well-filled tin.

Selena was not slow in taking advantage of his absence, and she, her brother, and the few who had escaped Farmer Brown's alert eyes, hurried away home, and when he returned only their silver trails could be seen.