Yikes, Worms!

By Annalie Riordan
7^th grade, Los Angeles County
San Gabriel Christian School - Vickie Zertuche, Teacher
Narrated by Rio Americano High School

Once there was a little girl named Jellabella who loved spending time in her garden planting flowers, watering, and just watching everything grow. Though she was only five years old, Jellabella was quite an expert at gardening.

One day, while digging up a dried up flower, she saw something wriggling beneath the soil. She picked it up, held it close to her nose, and realized it was an earthworm. "Yikes!" she screamed, and dropped it. "I hate worms!"

Just as she was about to smash it with her shovel she heard a little squeaky scream. "No, don't kill me! I don't have the ability to regenerate like some worms. Besides, your garden needs me!"

Jellabella could hardly believe her ears. Could the worm actually be talking? She thought.

Just then the earthworm breathed a sigh, "Phew! I thought I was a goner."

"It was you! I didn't know worms could talk," exclaimed Jellabella.

The earthworm backed away from Jellabella's feet, afraid of being stepped on. "Well, ordinarily, worms can't talk. We can't see or hear either."

Jellabella was utterly confused. "If you can't talk or hear, how am I having a conversation with you? And if you can't see, how did you know I was about to kill you?" she asked.

The earthworm explained, "I needed to teach you that earthworms are extremely important for the soil. With my keen sense of smell and my ability to detect others around by my sensitivity to vibrations, I knew I was in trouble. Just then my Guardian Angel gave me the gift of speech to save my life and your garden. By the way, my name is Gaylord and I'm a segmented worm. See all the lines? There are over a hundred of them and each have organs and in some, the organs are repeated."

Although Jellabella had a green thumb, she was still only five years old and didn't have the best of manners. "I don't want you in my garden! You are so ugly and gooey! Where did worms come from anyway?"

Gaylord made himself as tall as a stick. "Many people believe we came in potted plants and seed stocks that European settlers brought with them to America."

Jellabella sighed. "And you had to come to my garden. Phooey."

"Actually, I was born here. My parents were born here; my grandparents were born here; and my great grandparents were born here, and so on. So my family was here way before yours. So there! Phooey on you!"

Jellabella curled her mouth and thought of something to say back, but instead asked, "You told me before that earthworms are good for soil and plants. How?"

Gaylord shot his nose high up in the air and replied, "When earthworms tunnel through soil, we bring in oxygen, drain water, and create space for plant roots. Without us, soil would all be hard and airless."

Jellbella looked at her garden carefully and saw the flowers dancing with the wind. She could not help smiling at how she and the earthworms have done a wonderful job with it. She felt amazingly proud.

She looked back at the worm and said, "I learned where worms came from and how tunneling helps the roots and everything. But how does the soil become rich?"

Gaylord smiled as wide as the cat in Alice in Wonderland. "Our casts make the soil rich."

"What are casts?" asked Jellabella.

"Casts mean the same thing as manure. Our manure is full of nutrients, and it acts like fertilizers! It really makes the soil rich. Worms are invertebrates and are the simplest organism on earth, but we sure know how to take care of gardens!"

"Wow, that's cool! I didn't know that! Well, let's see. I can't think of any more questions." Jellabella thought very hard but couldn't think of anything else to ask.

"Well, I guess you know enough about worms so I better go now," he proclaimed as he turned around, stretching and contracting his segmented body rather quickly.

"No! Don't leave yet! I have so much more to learn about you!" but when she realized he wasn't coming back, she yelled, "Thank you! I learned a lot and I'll never try to kill another worm in my life!"

She eagerly waited for a "You're welcome," but Gaylord didn't seem to hear her. Maybe he couldn't. Not anymore.