The Snail Who Was Never Late
- 2 minute read
- Ages 4-8
- Bedtime Stories
There was a snail in a garden who had a reputation for never being late, which everybody found ridiculous, because he was a snail.
"You are the slowest thing in this garden," said a beetle. "How can you never be late?"
"I leave early," said the snail.
The party
When the frogs held a party at the far end of the pond, the snail set off on Tuesday.
The party was on Saturday.
The beetles laughed at him going past. The grasshoppers, who could cross the whole garden in about nine seconds, laughed harder. A bee stopped in the air specifically to laugh and then flew off to do something more interesting.
The snail did not mind and did not hurry. He went along the edge of the path, up over the flat stone, down through the parsley and across the long stretch of open soil, which took him most of Thursday.
He arrived on Saturday afternoon while the frogs were still setting out the leaves.
The others
The grasshoppers left at six on Saturday evening, expecting to arrive in nine seconds, and one of them was eaten by a bird on the way, and the rest hid in a flowerpot until it was dark and got there very late and in a bad mood.
The bee had forgotten entirely.
The beetles came, but they came in a rush and arrived cross and out of breath and spent the first hour recovering.
The snail had been there since the afternoon. He had helped with the leaves. He had had a long drink and a look at the water and a conversation with an extremely old toad who did not usually talk to anybody.
He had, by some distance, the best evening of anyone there.
Going home
He left on Sunday morning and got back on Wednesday, which was fine, because there was nothing on.
And when the beetle asked him how it had been, the snail thought about it for a while.
"I got there first," he said.
Moral of the story
Starting early is a kind of speed. The slowest one in the garden arrived before everybody because he was the only one who planned for what he actually was.
Questions and answers
- Why did the other insects find the snail's reputation funny?
Because he was the slowest creature in the garden, so being never late seemed impossible.
- How did the snail manage it?
He left early. For a Saturday party he set off on Tuesday.
- What happened to the grasshoppers?
They left at six expecting to arrive in seconds, were scattered by a bird, hid in a flowerpot and arrived late and in a bad mood.
- Why did the snail have the best evening?
He arrived in the afternoon, helped set up, rested, and had time for a long conversation while everyone else was still recovering from rushing.
- What does the snail mean by 'I got there first'?
That planning around his real speed beat everyone else's assumption that they could leave things until the last moment.
Word meanings
- reputation
- What people generally say or think about someone.
- ridiculous
- Very silly, deserving to be laughed at.
- parsley
- A leafy green herb grown in gardens.
- recovering
- Getting back to normal after something tiring.
Questions about The Snail Who Was Never Late
What is the moral of The Snail Who Was Never Late?
That planning around your real limits beats relying on speed. The snail could not go fast, so he went early, and it worked every time.
How is this different from the Tortoise and the Hare?
The tortoise wins because the hare makes a mistake. The snail wins because of a decision he makes before setting off, which is a different and more useful lesson.
Is it suitable for very young children?
Yes, ages four and above. It is funny rather than tense and nothing frightening happens, though a grasshopper is eaten offstage in one line.
What is a good conversation afterwards?
Ask what the child would have to leave early for, and how early. It is a gentle way into thinking about getting ready in the morning.