Snail's New Friends

It is my pleasure to present the story and art work of my eight year old niece, Nathalie Ward. Nathalie is a promising author and artist who has recently started writing short stories in her adopted home of St. Neots, England. This particular story was submitted with the art to a writing contest at her school. I never heard about the results, but it wins first place in my book. I was recently informed that this story is also in the process of being published. Personally, I love how Snail's good friends found her, and the loser hedgehog, badger, and ladybug were the only ones who lost out. And I love in the art work how the sun in the corner is always happy or sad for the little snail. It is my hope that you will enjoy this story as much as I do, and that you can leave some encouraging comments that will help inspire Nathalie to continue telling stories.

Once in a far away place, 2,003 years ago, there lived a yucky slimy Snail in its tree. Now the problem is that no one liked that snail, and no one was her friend! So she walked along the grass under the trees so she could stay hidden, just in case somebody wanted to eat her. She moved along and suddenly she found a hedgehog! The little snail said “will you be my friend”, to the hedgehog. The hedgehog said, “No, no I will not be your friend, now bye-bye.” And he shut the door. Why did the hedgehog say that so meanly, thought snail. Well, that is okay, I am just going to find a new friend, Snail said to herself. I wonder who is going to be my new friend, wondered Snail. Then she met Badger. “Can I please be your friend”, said Snail in a quiet voice. “Oh I…I…I don’t think so”, yelled Badger. “You are a bit to gross. I only like friends that are not slimy and gross”, Badger said immediately. So Snail went off, and was going to find some new friends.

She noticed that yesterday was very light and sunny, and wondered why today was very cold and windy. “I think I am just going to go home for my tea”, whispered Snail to herself. So Snail went home and had a tuna sandwhich for her tea. Soon, Snail was finished eating. She ate in 10 minutes. Snail went back outside to find some friends. She looked and looked until Snail found a ladybug. “Can I be your friend, Lady Bug?” Snail said smiling. “I don’t want to be your friend because you don’t have any legs” grunted Lady Bug! So snail went to go find some other wonderful new friends.

She looked everywhere, but no one wanted to be her friend! Then Snail said to herself “that’s strange, no one wants me”. She was so, so, so sad that three tears dropped from her eyes. Oh no thought Snail, there is some one coming! THOMP, THOMP, THOMP!!! It’s coming closer. I need to hide some where, thought Snail, but where? Then she found a hiding place. It was under a leaf. She quickly ran under the leaf. A lovely little girl was jumping along on the grass. The girl stopped and found something under a leaf. “What is that thing!” cried the girl. Snail said “I…I…I’m a snail”. “Can you be my pet and friend, please?” said the girl. “YES, PLEASE, DEFINETLY!!!” said Snail. So they walked together and had such fun!

THE END.

Just kidding, it’s not the end, let’s just get back on with the story. The girl said “Let’s find some more friends, Okay Snail?” Okay Girl”, said Snail. So they went to find some more friends. Soon, they met a butterfly. Its wings were so colorful. “Can we be your friends please?” the girl and snail said. “Yes, I have no friends at all. Let’s have more friends.” said Butterfly. “Okay, come on then” said the girl. So they went off. As they were going they saw an Owl coming towards them. “Can you be our friend?” said the girl. “Of course, I can” said Owl. So they went off to find more and more friends. In fact in just two hours, Snail had 199 friends! “I think we have enough friends now”, said Butterfly. Then the Owl said “I know, let’s sing the Ants go marching song. Ooh and be in a parade”. “Yeah, yeah, let’s do that” said Caterpillar. (He was one of the newest friends). So they sure did it alright. They all sang… “The ants go marching one by one, Hoorah, Hoorah. The ants go marching one by one, hoorah, hoorah. The ants go marching one by one, the little one stopped to suck her thumb, and they all go marching down to the ground to get out of the rain”. And the friends lived happily ever after.

THE END