That's why snails carry their huts on their backs

I read a bedtime story every day for my daughter (except when she goes to bed not with me). Yesterday in the children's book we came across a story about a snail, which tries to explain to children in a fairy-tale form why snails carry their hut on their backs (ie a protective shell in which they hide in case of danger). I will retell it in my own words, from memory.

So, a long time ago, when the beasts were still talking, the lion, who then reigned among the beasts, ordered everyone to gather in his palace to announce a number of his orders. At the appointed time, the lion entered the throne room and sat on his throne. The hall was full of beasts. Suddenly the lion frowned in displeasure: he did not notice a snail among the animals. "And where is the snail?" The lion asked his advisers. "He's late," one of them replied. The king of beasts roared indignantly: "This is disrespect to my throne. But we will start only when all the guests are present in the hall." The animals had to wait for the snail.

When the snail finally crawled into the hall, the lion was already red with anger. "Well, tell me, you vile slug, how dare you disobey the king's order and not arrive on time for this meeting. You'll have to come up with some plausible reason." The snail shrank with fear, but began to tell.

"I left the house early, O almighty king, so as not to be late. But when I passed halfway, the sky tightened with clouds and a thunderstorm began to gather. I was afraid I would get wet, sir, so I returned home and took my hut on my back to hide from the downpour if it started. And as I was walking through the forest, a strong wind arose. The trees began to bend low to the ground and their branches almost pierced my eyes. I had to dodge them and therefore moved very slowly. That's why I'm late, Your Majesty!"

As soon as the snail fell silent, the lion began to laugh and laughed so loudly that a loud echo went under the high vault of the throne room. He laughed for a long time, he burst into tears of laughter. When the lion stopped laughing and wiped away his tears, he said, “For making me laugh, I will not order you to be put to death for being late. But you have disrespected the crowned person, that is, me, so I have to punish you somehow. So, as a punishment, I sentence you to carry your hut on your back forever. And so that the branches can no longer pierce your eyes, let them be on movable legs, so that you can move your eyes and protect them from sharp branches."

That is why now snails always carry their hut with them, and their eyes are on long and mobile legs.

The photos were taken in my vineyard (loudly said of course, it's just a place where we grow three vines).

You can read this story in Ukrainian here.