Snail Spotting in the Woods
1Omar and his grandmother Leena walked along a shady path in the woods. The ground was damp and soft, and ferns grew beside the trail. Grandma Leena said it was a good morning to look for snails, because snails like cool, wet places.
2Omar spotted a snail on a fallen log. It was unhurried, sliding along so slowly that Omar could barely see it move. Its shell was a colorful swirl of brown and gold.
3Omar reached out to grab it, but Grandma Leena said, "Be careful. A snail's body is soft, and a careless grab could hurt it." She showed Omar how to let the snail crawl onto a leaf instead.
4When the leaf wobbled, the snail pulled its body into its shell and seemed to disappear. "Don't worry," Grandma said. "It is harmless and shy. Wait a minute and it will reappear." Soon its head and feelers came back out.
5Before they left, Omar set the leaf back on the log so the snail could crawl home. Then they retraced their steps, walking back along the same path. "I was unsure about snails before," Omar said, "but now I think they are amazing."