Once upon a time, there was a passive little snail named Slim. He lived in a forest where all the animals would migrate every year to avoid the cold weather. One day, he found a strange creature with scales and a long snout attached to his shell. It was a parasite! Slim was so embarrassed that he tried to camouflage himself with leaves and sticks. But no matter what he did, the parasite wouldn't budge.

One day, a predator came sniffing around, looking for something to eat. But it couldn't see Slim because of his excellent camouflage. Suddenly, the parasite let out a suction sound and the predator turned around and ran away! Slim couldn't believe it. He asked the parasite why it had saved him and the parasite replied, "I may be a parasite, but I've got your back." From that day on, Slim and the parasite became best friends. They migrated together every year, and Slim learned to embrace his new habit of having a suction-y friend by his side. The end.

Reflections

1. Why did Slim try to camouflage himself?
2. Why did the predator run away?
3. How did Slim and the parasite become friends?
4. What did Slim learn at the end of the story?
5. What do you think would have happened if the parasite didn't save Slim from the predator?