The Snail Who Carried the Moon Home

Once upon a time, in a sleepy garden, there lived a little snail called Pavlyk. He walked slowly, because he carried his house on his back.

One evening, after the rain, Pavlyk crawled out onto the path. And what did he see? There in a puddle lay the Moon. Round and yellow, like a little pancake.

"Oh!" squeaked Pavlyk. "The Moon has fallen down!"

He gently touched the water with his feelers. The Moon trembled, but it didn’t run away.

"Don’t be scared," said Pavlyk. "I’ll take you home, up to the sky."

He found a wide leaf and scooped up some water with it. Splash! A tiny Moon began to shine in the drop.

Slowly, slowly, quietly, quietly, the snail set off to carry the Moon home.

He crept past the cabbages, past the carrots. The garden was dark, and only the drop on the leaf was glowing.

Then, blink-blink! Along flew a firefly.

"Where are you taking the Moon, little snail?"

"Home, up to the sky."

"But the sky is so high! It’ll be dark on your way. I’ll light it for you."

And the firefly flew on ahead, like a little lantern.

Slowly, slowly, quietly, quietly, the snail carried the Moon home.

Then, hop! A cricket jumped out of the grass.

"Where are you taking the Moon, little snail?"

"Home, up to the sky."

"That’s a long way to go! I’ll play you a tune to make it merrier."

And the cricket played a soft little song: chirr-chirr, chirr-chirr.

Slowly, slowly, quietly, quietly, the snail carried the Moon home.

Then, rustle-rustle! Along came a moth, grey and fluffy.

"Where are you taking the Moon, little snail?"

"Home, up to the sky. Only I don’t know where it begins."

The moth thought for a moment and pointed with its wing:

"The tallest thing in the garden is the sunflower. From up there, the sky is closest."

And there was the sunflower by the fence. So tall, so very tall! Pavlyk sighed and began to climb up the stalk. The firefly shone, the cricket played, and the moth flew alongside so the drop wouldn’t fall.

Pavlyk climbed for a long, long time. At last he reached the top, the sunflower’s big yellow head. Pavlyk lifted his feelers up high and went very still.

Above the garden, in the dark sky, shone the Moon. Round, yellow and bright.

"There’s your home," Pavlyk whispered to the drop.

He tipped the leaf. Plip! The drop fell down into the grass. And the Moon in the sky shone even brighter, as if to say, "Thank you, little snail!"

"Hooray," said the firefly softly.

"Chirr-chirr," the cricket played softly.

The moth said nothing. It just fluttered its wings.

And Pavlyk yawned. What a long way he had gone today! He tucked in his feelers, crept into his little house and fell asleep right there on the soft sunflower leaf.

And all night long the Moon shone down on him, softly, softly, so as not to wake him.