Inchworm

Hi! I’m just a little inchworm, going for a walk. It is very warm today and I thought that I would go to the beach. It is so much cooler there at this time of the year.

It took me a very long time to get there because I can only travel an inch at a time. When I take a step my body pulls itself up and when I take another step, I stretch out again.

It was beautiful at the beach. The sun was shining and the water was clear. I spent most of my time walking around and exploring.

Pretty soon, I began to get tired. I headed for home. I was very lucky because on my way, I found an easier way to travel. I jumped up onto the boot of a man that happened to be walking my way. It was so much faster to travel this way! The man had no idea that I was even there.

As the man continued walking, I inched my way to the pocket on his shirt. I crawled inside of it and I found myself dozing off. I was very tired because of the long walk I had taken earlier.

A few hours later, I awoke with a start. I didn’t know where I was and I was frightened. I inched my way out of the shirt that I was still cuddled into. The man had discarded his shirt and hung it on the back of a chair.

“Oh, Daddy!” I heard a little girl say, when she noticed me. “Look, it’s an inchworm.”

“An inchworm,” Daddy said, bending down to see me. “Well, Julie, I wonder where he came from?”

“I wonder how he got onto your shirt,” said Julie.

“I bet he jumped up onto me when I was at the beach,” said Daddy.

“At the beach!” exclaimed Julie. “How come you didn’t take me to the beach with you?”

“Well that is just where I happened to end up,” explained Daddy.

Daddy picked me up in hand.

“What are you going to do with him?” asked Julie.

“I’m going to put him outside,” said Daddy.

“Daddy, you should take him back to the beach,” cried Julie. “That is where he came from. How is he ever going to find his family?”

“He’s only an inchworm, honey,” said Daddy.

“Daddy, it doesn’t matter what he is,” Julie cried. “He still deserves to be taken back to where he came from!”

Daddy looked at his daughter.

“Alright,” said Daddy. “Go get you shoes on. We’re going to the beach.”

Daddy and Julie took me to the beach and set me in amidst the tall grass.

“Goodbye!” cried Julie.

“Goodbye and thank you,” I said as I started on my long, long walk home.