THE THREE WIGGLY WORMS BLUFF

     Springtime is here!
     How do I know? I don't need to listen to the weather forecast. Susanna Leonard Hill told me it's here!
     If you don't follow Perfect Picture Book Fridays, you should. Not just for the great picture book reviews, but also because Susanna shares fun writing contests for pitches and short stories. Today is the kick-off (I know, imagery for the wrong season)--okay today is the first pitch (but that could be confused with a writing pitch)--today a new challenge SPRINGS forth, hosted on Susanna's blog. Can you tell I'm giddy with excitement?

public domain image by Vera Kratochvil

     The challenge was to write a fractured fairy tale of less than 400 words, post it on our blogs and link to Susanna's. I chose to incorporate the theme of Springtime in my story. It's based on TWO fairy tales. Can you guess which two?
     So here is, drum roll please: THE THREE WIGGLY WORMS BLUFF
    

THE THREE WIGGLY WORMS BLUFF          

“Melting snow is swamping the soil! Time to head to higher ground,” said Papa Worm.

Papa, Mama and Baby Worm squirmed to the surface and wiggled up the grassy slope to face—

the dreaded sidewalk.

“Ow! It’s rough,” said Baby.

“Go as fast as you can.” Mama gave him a pat. “And keep a lookout for birds.”

Baby wiggled as fast as he could.

But he was only halfway across when a robin swooped down.

“I’m going to gobble you up and take you to my babies!” the robin squawked.

“I’m a baby myself. Barely a bite, and not worth your flight. Mama is coming, she’s more than a morsel. Why don’t you wait for her?” said Baby.

The robin thanked Baby and sent him on his way.

When the coast looked clear, Mama wiggled as fast as she could.

But she was barely halfway across when the robin hopped out from a bush.

“I’m going to gobble you up and take you to my babies!” the robin squawked.

“I’d make an adequate dinner, but if you want to treat your babies to a feast you might want to wait for Papa worm. He’s coming next,” said Mama.

The robin thanked Mama and sent her on her way.

Papa did calisthenics, warming up his wiggle. Between the birds and the pavement heating up, He needed to be fast!

Papa wasn’t halfway across when the robin landed in his path.

“I’m going to gobble you up and take you to my babies!” the robin squawked. “You are plump perfection!”

“Is it true that the early bird gets the worm?” asked Papa.

“That’s true.” The robin opened wide.

“Stop! How do I know you’re the early bird? Maybe someone else is supposed to eat me,” said Papa.

A second bird saw its chance. “I was here first.”

“No, you weren’t!” the robin screeched.

“I’m the early bird!” they both insisted.

The two birds went beak to beak, pecking and pulling feathers.

While the birds quarreled, Papa wiggled,

across the concrete and—Ploop!—down a hole in the grass.

“No worm for the early bird today.” Papa hugged his family.

They wiggled down to enjoy their damp, but not flooded, springtime home. . .

until summer heat baked the soil and they had to return across the sidewalk again.

For those of you who are counting-that's 383 words! Welcome to Spring. :))