Week 10 Story: The Marching Worm

There once was a little boy and girl who were curious about everything. They wanted to know why the sky was blue and the grass was green. One day, they looked up at the great mountain that they lived below and had to know how it got there. They ran to the tribe’s storyteller and begged him to tell them how the mountain came to be. The storyteller happened to be free for a little bit so he sat down beside them and began the story about another little boy and girl that lived in there tribe long ago.

The little boy and girl lived in the valley between hills but there were no mountains around. There was a watering hole by their village and there was a perfect sized pool they loved to lounge in. In this valley all animals came together to drink and socialize. This was before animals had become enemies and so everyone was peaceful.

On an especially hot day, the little boy and girl went to their pool of water and swam and played. They stayed in much longer than usual because they knew when they got out, the hot sun would make them sweat. When they finally retreated from the water, they were quite chilly. They had the idea to run up the closest hill to their village and take a nap in the afternoon sun. They soon fell asleep on top of the hill. As they slept, the hill quietly shot up into a mountain.

Down below, the little boy and girl’s parents realized they were gone. They started to look all over for them, asking the animals to help. Finally, after every nook and cranny had been searched, they realized the children must be on top of the mountain. Distraught, the parents asked for the animals’ help to get the children down. The jack rabbit, mouse, antelope, and mountain lion all attempted to make their way to the top of the mountain but eventually they all failed. Finally, a tiny voice was heard. It was a measuring worm that said he wanted to try. Everyone laughed at the thought, but the measuring worm began his journey.

It took him many days to read the top but he never stopped trying and slowly he inched his way all the way to the top of the mountain. There he found the children safely waiting.  During his journey, the measuring worm had found an unknown path and he led the children safely down the mountain. When they all returned, the people were so grateful for what he did; they named the mountain after him. No other animal had the perseverance or bravery to do what he had down and save the children.

Author’s note: This is based on a Native American story about children who fall asleep and end up among the clouds. I decided to do a straight retelling of the story to keep it’s sweet message, but put it in my own words.

Bibliography: American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned, with illustrations by John Rae (1921). 

Image Information: Flickr, Measuring Worm