Page 16 - Wiggly the Worm

“Help!” Mac screamed, tumbling head-over-heels into the garden at the base
of the apple tree. He landed in a bed of dirt and fallen leaves. “Ouch!”

Mac rolled over slowly and looked around. From here, he could see just how
tall the apple tree really was. Wow, he thought. If I had known how far off the
ground I was, I would have been afraid!

“Who are you?” asked a small voice.

Mac blinked in surprise to see a small green worm headed his way. “I’m Mac,”
he said, glad to have found someone to talk to. “I just fell out of the apple
tree.”

“I’m Wiggly,” the worm told him. “Are you all right, Mac?”

“Just a little bruised,” Mac replied. “The world looks so different from down on
the ground.”

“I can imagine,” replied Wiggly. “I’ve always wondered what life would be like
high up in the treetops.”

Mac smiled. “I’ll tell you,” he said. And, as he began to describe what it had
been like to live in the apple tree, Wiggly’s friends Rattles Snake, Munchy Mos-
quito, and Snarky Snail came out to join them.

Soon everyone was asking questions and talking at once, and Mac felt like he
had just made a whole bunch of new friends!

“You guys are great,” Mac said to the garden creatures. “I was feeling so sad
and lonely this morning, but you’ve helped cheer me up. Now I don’t miss my
apple friends quite as much.”

“What happened to them?” asked Munchy.

Mac explained how all of the apples had picked from the tree except him.
Talking about this reminded him that he would never be eaten like the others.
He started to feel sad again.
When he told the garden creatures why, they were surprised.

“You mean, “ asked Wiggly, “you want to be eaten?”
“It’s the highlight of an apple’s life,” Mac answered sadly.

“Well, in that case…” Wiggly glanced at his friends and smiled “worms love
apples!”

And so it was that Mac the apple’s wish came true—and Wiggly and his friends
enjoyed a yummy feast, just in time for Thanksgiving!

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