One day a snail met a slug
in a vegetable garden.
The snail said:
“You are very ugly
without a shell.”
The slug said:
“You can go to hell.
I am doing very well
without a shell.
Are you looking for a fight?
I live under a stone all day
And mostly eat at night.”
The snail said:
“I need my shell –
I travel slowly through the day
And eat whatever comes my way;
My favorites are lettuces and cabbages
And the gardener rues my ravages.
I also leave a slimy trail
Which is a sure sign of a snail.”
The slug said:
“But I also leave a trail of slime
Wherever I go, all the time;
And when I’ve passed by
Who can tell
Whether or not I had a shell?”
The snail said:
“That is very true, you know,
and without a shell
You can go where I can’t go –
Under a stone, which is very flat
(Even though you’re very fat –)
But my shell’s my home, you see
And it’s very pretty,
It’s made of lime and protects me”.
The slug was offended and said:
“I’m off for lunch.”
And he slid off to munch
On nearby tasty salad leaves.
This was just in time.
So much for a shell of lime –
The snail was far too slow
For a missel-thrush, which saw his pretty shell,
Swooped and smashed it on a stone –
and swallowed the snail in one go.
C. Tim Taylor 2015