2010
Once upon a time there was a little worm. The little worm was cold and hungry and lonely. She had come a long way looking for something to make her warm and full and not at all lonely.
One sunny day, the little worm came upon an apple lying on the ground. It was shiny and red and looked oh so sweet. “I bet this would fill me right up; but, I wonder what it tastes like”, the little worm thought. She moved closer to take a bite of the shiny apple.
“What do you want?”
Worm jumped in surprise. “Who said that?” she asked.
Apple rolled over in front of her and said, “I did. What is it you want with me? I see you looking like you want to bite me.” Apple did not look at all happy at the idea of being bitten.
“Well, yes. I was considering taking a bite. It wouldn’t be very big. I’m a small worm and you are a big apple. Surely one tiny bite won’t bother you?” Worm tried her best to look tiny. She even opened her eyes big and tried her best look on Apple.
“Oh, you don’t want to bite me, “ Apple said. “Why, I fell from this tree a long time ago. I’ve gotten bruised all up; and, I’m not near as tasty as I look.”
“You really do look quite tasty. Why I don’t see a single bruise on you. You’re lovely and shiny and quite nice. I can even see the sun reflecting from your shiny red skin. You look perfect, “ said Worm.
“Hah! Look, right here,” Apple replied. He rolled around so that a small bruise was revealed to Worm. It wasn’t a very big bruise, and Worm could eat it all away in a bite or two. Worm looked at the bruise and looked at Apple’s face and back at the bruise. “Why, I could eat that in two bites. I bet it doesn’t even taste bad. I have to say, you know, it doesn’t look that horribly bad to me. Why…how about I eat it away and then you won’t have a bruise there anymore; and, I’ll not be so very hungry.”
Apple thought to himself, “Oh, this is wonderful – Worm will eat my bruise and see how bad I taste and then she will go away!” Thinking it a perfect solution, Apple agreed to let Worm eat away the little bruise.
So, Worm wriggled up close and ate away the bruise. “Oh my. Why that was quite tasty,” said Worm. “Thank you so much for letting me at that bruise. I knew you would taste very sweet and be very tasty.”
Apple rolled back in surprise and said, “Well, really, that was just a tiny bruise. It was on the outside and hardly hurt at all. Why, I’m sure the deeper bruises – and there are lots and lots and lots – would not be tasty at all.”
Worm doubted Apple and wriggled up close to take a look. “I don’t see any bruises at all. I ate the only one you had away. Look, there’s the little hole it left behind.”
Apple sighed and said, “That’s because the bruises are inside, not outside. You can’t see them from where you are.”
“Oh,” said Worm. “Well, how about I go in and try one out? Wouldn’t you like to get rid of those bruises? And, really, they do not taste bad at all.”
Apple gave this some thought and decided that one more bruise would surely make the little Worm go away. “Fine,” he said. “There is one just beside that little hole you made. Wriggle your way in that hole and you will see it. But, it’s a pretty bad bruise. You won’t like it.”
Worm smiled happily – why she wasn’t feeling lonely at all, right now, talking to Apple! And, well, really Apple was quite tasty, even the bruises…So, Worm wriggle up to the tiny hole she had eaten in Apple and wriggled inside. “Why there it is! What a lovely purple. It really is quite a bruise,” she said.
“I told you it was a bad bruise, “Apple said. “You would really do better to just find something else to eat. I’m not at all what you are looking for.”
Worm listened to Apple talking as she took the first big bite out of the bruise inside Apple. She munched and munched and while she munched she listened to Apple talking about how, really, she should just go find a nice, juicy peach or tangy orange. Eventually, Worm ate her way through the entire bruise and felt quite amazingly full.
“Why, Apple, that bruise did not taste bad at all!” Worm said happily. “Why it filled me right up and I’m so warm inside here. Why look, there is plenty of room for me to curl up and get cozy.”
Apple rocked around a bit as Worm squirmed and made herself comfortable. “Quit that!” Apple said. “Why that feels quite odd.” Worm settled down comfortably, not feeling at all hungry or lonely or cold.
“Why Apple, it is so very nice here. You really are just as tasty and sweet as I thought you would be. But, I never thought you’d be so cozy. Why I could fall asleep here quite happily.”
Apple was not at all sure he was happy with this idea. He started to rock around, trying to make Worm fall out. But, instead, Apple rocked Worm to sleep. The sound of tiny snores coming from inside Apple made him slow down. It really was quite a nice feeling having those bruises gone. And, Worm was quite comfortable. Apple even felt warm inside where it had only hurt before. He started rocking slowly to help Worm sleep better and wound up sleeping too.
When Apple woke up the next morning, he felt Worm munching away at another bruise. “Hey! I didn’t say you could eat more of me,” Apple said.
“Well, you were asleep and this one bruise looked so bad…I did not like the idea of you hurting, so I thought I’d eat it away for you,” replied Worm. “I am almost done. I will leave you alone, if you want me to.”
“No, no – it is ok. You can finish that one bruise,” said Apple, for he had grown quite fond of the little Worm.
So Worm finished eating away at the bruise and found, to her delight that it was even more roomy and ever so cozy inside Apple. Worm really did not want to have to leave Apple because with Apple she found she was quite full and not at all lonely and very, very cozy. Why, she was not cold at all anymore!
“Apple?” Worm asked.
“Yes?” Apple answered.
“Could I stay here for a while? You really are quite cozy and you are grand company…and, I’m not at all hungry anymore.” Worm squirmed a little as she waited nervously to hear Apple’s answer.
Apple was startled and not at all sure he was happy with the idea. “Why would you want to stay inside me? I’m all bruised and – look! – I’m starting to wither just a little around the edges. I won’t last near as long as that juicy peach in the orchard next door. You would be much better off if you went there instead.”
Worm frowned. “You are not all bruised, I’ve eaten several of them away and that’s why there is room for me in here, now. And, it’s really quite cozy here. And that withering – why it doesn’t affect you at all. You are still quite tasty and quite cozy and I don’t feel at all alone when I’m with you. No, I would be much happier staying here.”
Apple rocked a little as he thought. It really was quite cozy and nice having Worm curled up inside of him instead of those nasty bruises. And, if she left, why he would be quite empty. She filled up those holes that the bruises had taken quite nicely. Besides, he wasn’t at all lonely when she was around, and he felt quite warm and full inside.
“Ok, Worm,” Apple said. “You can stay. It really is quite nice with you here.”
Worm smiled widely and squirmed a little as she got more comfortable. “It really is quite nice. Yes, it is.”
So after a long, long journey, Worm was warm and full and not at all lonely.