The Cow and the Snail

by Katie Rose Krueger

daytime, field, bringer, arbitrary, assassination, grinding

The sun shined down on Farmer Ben’s abode. A beautiful April day, just as it should be. He looked out at his herd scattered on the grass, noticing number AC58237 under the shade of the maple tree, like she always does. He wondered why she spent so much time away from the pack, but didn’t dwell on it. She was in perfect health and produced plenty of milk, so he didn’t mind. He walked back into the barn to go about his work for the day.

Number AC58237 watched Farmer Ben walk inside. She liked to refer to herself as “Casey,” though, especially around her best friend, Stu. Stu was a snail that lived in the bushes surrounding the maple tree. Though it took him awhile to travel to their daytime conversation, he never missed an appointment. Casey smiled as she saw him approach.

“Good morning, Stu,” she greeted, grinding the last bit of grass between her teeth.

“Good morning, Casey,” replied Stu, with a somber look on his face.

“What’s the matter, Stu?” asked Casey, concerned for her friend.

Stu launched into his story, holding back tears. Casey had to hold back her own as she listened to him describe the assassination of their leader, Mayor Snoodle. Mayor Snoodle was making his annual visit to the Caterpillar Community in the neighboring cornfield. It was a month-long excursion, but always yielded positive outcomes. The Snails and Caterpillars worked together and supported each other just like family.

On this journey, however, the outcome was a negative one. As Mayor Snoodle crossed the dirt road that ran between the two farms, the evil Barry Boilhead, an eleven-year-old boy from down the way, smashed every snail in his beady-eyed sight that day. Only one snail had made it all the way across the road: one of Mayor Snoodle’s guards, and Stu’s brother, Sam. When Sam made the lonely trek back home, he was tasked as the bringer of bad news. Their leader was gone.

“I’m so sorry, Stu,” Casey said as she consoled her friend. “Is there anything I can do?”

Stu hesitated before speaking, “Actually… there is. It may seem arbitrary, but when the sun hits high noon today, could you please have a moment of moo-ness in Mayor Snoodle’s honor?”

“Why, I’d be happy to, Stu.” Casey replied. “I’ll get the whole herd involved.”

Stu smiled, thanked his friend Casey the Cow, and made his trek back inside the bush.

As Farmer Ben settled into his rocker for his lunch break, he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into his egg salad sandwich. But before he could take his first bite, a sound stopped him short. He squinted out towards the pasture and saw number AC58237 leading all 49 cows into a clump, their heads tilting towards the sky and mooing the longest, saddest moo he’d ever heard. He didn’t understand it, but he suddenly felt the urge to remove his straw hat, and moo right along with them.