The One that Got Away

By
Margo Wayman

 

Cameela walked around outside the coop, pecking at the seeds that Farmer Farid had thrown out for her and the other chickens. She enjoyed farm life. She had all the seeds that she could eat, had the companionship of the other chickens in the coop, and had protection and safety from wild animals. All that was asked of her was that she lay one egg each day, which she did without any problem. Why, some days, she laid two eggs.

Cameela got up early one morning. The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, casting its orange-red rays across the land. As she stood there, pecking at some seed, she spotted a fat, juicy worm inching its way through the dirt. She thought that eating a worm sounded yummy because she hadn’t had one for at least a week. She walked up to it slowly. Just as she was about to peck it, the worm went into a hole. She pecked at the hole in anger, feeling angry that the worm had gotten away. She stood there, waiting for it to come back out. After a while she tired of the wait, and went back to pecking the seeds. She did keep her eyes open, in case the worm came out of hiding.

Her beak was filled with delicious sesame seeds, when out of the corner of her eye she noticed the worm. There went its head. It stuck up out of the hole, just a little bit, and seemed to be laughing at Cameela.

Cameela let out a loud ‘CLUCK’, and ran over towards the worm. It was too fast though, and darted back into the hole just as she got to it. Cameela clucked angrily, and feeling frustrated, turned and headed back to the seed.

A few minutes later the worm stuck its head out of the hole again, but just a little further out. Cameela tried to ignore it as she gobbled down the seed, but again it seemed to be laughing at her. Finding the fat, juicy worm too tempting, she suddenly, and without warning, ran as fast as she could over to the hole. Again, just as she got there, the worm slid down into the hole. She let out another angry ‘CLUCK’ and pecked madly at the hole for a minute or two. She was getting really angry. Feeling defeated, she turned and walked back to her seeds, reluctantly.

As she was just about finished eating the seeds, she saw the worm come out again. This time, it came out all the way. It stood up straight and wiggled and giggled at her. Cameela was furious. She scratched the dirt with her claws and ran faster than she’d ever ran in her life, over to the hole. Just as she was about to gobble it down, the worm slid quickly down into the hole. This time she was more than angry. She let out two loud ‘CLUCKS’, but instead, this time, she didn’t go back over to the seed. She went and hid behind the horse’s water barrel. She stood silently waiting for the worm to come out.

It stuck its head out and looked over to where Cameela had been. It looked puzzled. Cameela giggled silently with her hand over her beak. The worm came out even further, and began to slowly inch its way over to the seed. Cameela knew it was time. She ran out from behind the barrel, let out an extra loud ‘CLUCK’, and reached the worm. She grabbed it in her beak and gobbled it down. ‘CLUCK! CLUCK! CLUCK!’ She clucked with joy. She had fooled the worm, and now she was full.

Cameela went back over to the seed, but couldn’t eat another bite. She went into the coop and sat in her nest, and went to sleep, content, and full.