Bastelesel

This happens if you leave your center piece outside on the table of your terrasse. The perfume of rosemary and sage leaves must have attracted this tiny snail. No wonder, already at the end of the 19th century Wilhelm Busch, a famous German poet, knew about the excellent scent of these slow moving creatures.

Tastend streckt sich ihr Gehörne, – Fumbling with their antlers,
schwach nur ist das Augenlicht.    – only weak their sight.
Dennoch schon aus weiter Ferne, – no matter how far away
wittern sie ihr Leibgericht.             – they’re winding the favourite dish.

Schleimig, säumig, aber stete,       – Slimy, slowly, however steady,
immer auf dem nächsten Pfad,     – always on the next trail,
finden sie die Gartenbeete,            – they’ll find within the garden bed
mit dem schönen Kopfsalat.          – the sweetes lettuce.

I don’t know how long it took her to climb up the sage leaves. For the way down however she needed the whole afternoon. She didn’t seem to feel upset because without hesitating she started climbing down the table leg. That calmness is to die for and snails, according to an ancient tale seem to know that:

When holding a meeting all animals complained about humans taking different things away. “They’re taking my milk”, the cow said. “They’re taking my eggs”, said the sitting hen. “They’re using my flesh for ham”, the pig said and “they’re hunting me for the oil”, added the whale. Finally the snail hat it’s say: “I’m owning something they would surely take away from me if only they could. Something they request more than anything else. I have plenty of time.”