The Snail in the Teacup

Mia wanted to keep one small snail safe for one whole day.

He was sitting on the path in the kitchen garden, right where Papa's big feet would go. The otter family had come to pick mint and basil, and bees were buzzing in the thyme.

"Whose idea was it to look after him?" asked Mama.

"Papa's," said Pip.

"Not mine," said Papa. "Mama's."

"I'll do it," said Mia. "He's mine today."

She put the snail in a bowl. "Slow and safe," she told him. But the snail climbed up the side, slow as syrup, and was nearly out by the time she turned around.

Mia put a lid on the bowl. The snail pushed. The lid went clink and slid off.

"Slow and safe," said Mia, a little crossly.

Then a crow dropped down onto the fence. He looked at the shiny lid with his head on one side. He hopped over, took it in his beak, and flew away.

"Hey!" said Pip.

"It's all right," said Mama. "He always brings something back."

In a moment the crow was back. He dropped a red button on the path, nodded, and was gone.

"That's not a lid," said Mia. She sat down with her chin on her paws and watched the snail. He wasn't trying to climb out anymore. He was reaching toward the mint, where the leaves were wet and cool.

"Oh," said Mia. "You don't want out. You want that."

She fetched Mama's old teacup and tucked it in the shade under the basil. She lined it with wet mint leaves and set the snail inside.

He pulled in his horns. Then he put them out again, one, then the other.

All day the bees buzzed, and Papa picked, and Pip found the button and wore it on his ear. Mia stayed beside the teacup. By evening the garden smelled of mint, and the snail sat very still on his green leaf.

"Slow and safe," Mia whispered, and the bees hummed softly on.