ALL CREATURES, SMALL AND LARGE

"It's raining," said Sam ever so sadly,
'The worms will emerge and fare badly."

"They're only worms," replied Liz with a shiver,
"for all I care, they can jump in the river.

"You don't know what you say, you're out of line.
They are fat and jolly and quite simply divine.
They were put on this earth for a good reason,
so plants and trees could grow all season."

"What do you mean, I don't understand?
They're so underfooot and underhand."

"Liz, if you listen, I'll tell you the truth;
How this little old earth was just about new.
Along came these worms, oh maybe a million,
and made holes in the ground, like maybe a trillion.
They bored holes to the top and then to the bottom,
although nobody, nobody, had really taught 'em.

"But Sam, I mean, why ever for,
did they do that to the earth's core?"

"You don't follow, so hear me please,
holes in the ground help the flowers and trees.
They grow to be healthy, strong and proud,
those holes make the earth breathe,
just like it was very evenly plowed.
And everyone and everything, has got to inhale,
if they did'nt do that, they wouldn't exhale.
You see how worms are really needed?
Because of what they do, plants can be seeded."

Liz shook her head in awe and wonder,
as the rain slashed down,
there was lightning and thunder.

"OK Sam, there's been enough talking.
lets put on our coats and get to walking."

"Before we go Liz,
I want to explain,
what makes these worms
come out in the rain.
The earth is loosened
so they can emerge,
when they come up,
they will not submerge."

Liz interrupted,
"Sam, let me say my piece,
they want to come out,
it's a kind of release.
The worms have no eyes,
they cannnot see,
and they have no feet,
like you or me."

"Right," said Sam, "they move to the walks
and roads,
they don't know traffic or the city codes."

Then Liz chimed in, "and then they get stuck,
'cause they move best on earth and muck."

So Liz and Sam, ran with all their might,
and soon saw a bewildering sight.
There worms that were fat,
and some that were lean.
There were mothers and fathers,
and many a pre-teen.
There were those that were short,
and those that were long,
and even a giant worm,
they named King Kong.

Sam and Liz got busy together.
Not minding the rain or the weather.
They picked them up by ones, twos, and threes,
and placed them gently, beside some trees.

They worked like beavers, for hour after hour,
to place these creatures back in their bower.
Their bodies were drenched, even their clothes,
their shorts and socks, right down to their toes.

And when they counted up to three thousand and nine,
they looked at each other, and they said fine.
They'd done their good deed, throughout the day,
and now they could go home and get to play.

Their mothers were waiting,
and they said together,
"What made you go out.
in this awful weather?"

Sam hastened to explain,
the how and the why,
"Well if we didn't,
the worms, they would simply die.
You see, these worms come out to play,
whenever there is a rainy day,
and they wiggle here,
and they wiggle there,
and they land up in spots,
that are really bare.
then they get stuck and cannot slide,
unless someone kindly puts them aside."

You're really special, you're really sweet,
we're going to
give you a special treat.

"Oh girl," said Liz,"Oh boy," said Sam,
and soon they were eating bread and jam,
and a piece of cake
like mothers bake,
and a banana split with a topping of cherries,
and apples and oranges and a bunch of berries.

So Liz and Sam had a real royal feast,
It was a rewarding day, to say the least.