Amazingly Grace crawled out of her shell,
oozed into the garden to ‘air’ a spell.

“Well, well, well,” said a bird with a shrill yell.
“You’re thin, not my taste, but won’t go to waste.
You can’t hide fore’er beneath peppers … bell.”

‘Twasn’t her dream to be eaten alive,
she dreamt of aging … watching offspring thrive.
This bird brought attention. She took a dive.

The toughest decision she had to face
was how to outsmart beasts, how to survive.

Grace, spirit broken, eased back in her shell;
it’s tough--finding courage--when you’re a snail.
Beasts threaten havoc, no place is safe … swell!

Grace bathed in skunk scent, reeked, changed her taste!

Bird swallowed, spit her—this story did tell:
“I found a skunk hidden in a snail shell.”