Elsie and the Snail's Secret

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Elsie sat cross-legged in her garden, watching a butterfly dance from flower to flower. She loved spending quiet mornings here, surrounded by the sweet smell of roses and the gentle buzz of bees. As she reached for her watering can, something caught her eye. A tiny brown shell, no bigger than her thumbnail, was stuck to the side of a flowerpot. "Oh!" Elsie gasped softly. "A little snail!" She leaned closer, her brown curls falling forward. The snail's head poked out slowly, revealing two pairs of tentacles. The longer ones had tiny black dots at the tips. "Are those... eyes?" Elsie wondered aloud.

The snail moved its tentacles gently, as if waving hello. Elsie watched, fascinated, as it began to glide across the pot. "How are you moving without any feet?" she asked. A silvery trail appeared behind the snail as it traveled. Elsie touched the trail carefully with her finger. It felt slippery and cool. "Is this how you slide along?" She noticed the snail seemed to be heading toward the shadowy area under a large leaf. "Are you looking for somewhere cooler?" The morning sun was getting warmer, and Elsie realized the flowerpot must feel quite hot. She had so many questions bubbling up inside her.