A Happy ,-a,,,,,,

b y Hans Christian And

ersen
An Adaptation

n e ll w e re th e lo s t tw o respectable
S
Father Snail and Mother a id to b e the most
Wh ite S n a ils w e re s
White Snails In the world. ly a te b u rd ocks,' th e y
eca u se th e y o n
beautfful kind of snails. B o f th e ir d e lic io u s fl a vor,
ost dellclous. Beca u se
\t /8 (8 also the m
th e m . In fa c t, p e o p le enjoyed
ked
people caught and coo ·t m a n y W h it e S n ails le ft In
t there were n
eattng them so much tha
the world.
d In a g a rd e n o f b u rd o cks a n d was
These two old snails live n s liv e d. The tw o
nsi o n w he re h u m a
located next to a big ma h ite S n a ils , b o ll e d th em,
the se hu mans c a u g h t W
ai ls knew th a t
sn
o w e ve r, th e y d id n o t k now w h a t
inner. H
and then ate them for d
W hite Sna ils o tt e r th e y were eaten.
happened to
rd e n w a s p la n te d so w e c o u ld
s ga
·Aren't w e very lucky? Thi t so th a t w e can be
ig mansio n w a s b u ll
hove a home and that b to ld th e m selves.
,· th e y a lw a y s
bolled there and eaten
M othe r S n ell h o d O h a p p y llfe.
It : u g h Father Sn
ell and
e ca u se th e y h a d n o c hildren.
lonely a t times. This was b w as sm a ll a n d n o t as
e c o m mon snail, b u t h e
The y a d o p te d a lftt1
beautffut as White Snails.
ry hard.
One dav tt began to rain ve
 •w. 019 kJclcy that we ltve In such a ICJf& garden 01 thll. We
have big dock-leaves to ltileld ua from the ran,• told Foll .er
Snal.

"Not only that. we ore also born with sturdy shells that protect
us from any harm: said Mother Snall.

·indeed, we hove everything. We have a good son and a

great kingdom. We can't wish for anything moret· declared
Father Snell.

.. , will be happy to be bolled and eaten In the mansion! I

have lived such a wonderful llfef· added Mother Snail.

With the rain. the burdocks grew so tall around the mansion
and the humans could not go out to pick snails.

• Right now. we should think of finding a wife for our son.· soic
Father Snell. who thought that the llffie common snail was old
enough to get married.

·aut where should we look? Our son may not be beautiful or

tasty. but he would Inherit this 1b lg garden after we're gone. He
deserves a very good wife ... Mother Snail repfled.

• 1guess you are right, my dear.·

So the two old snails began their search. They asked the
other animals If they knew of a snall who was looking for a good
husband. Some of them said they did, but when these animals
descrtbed the girt snails. Father Snail and Mother Snail did not
think they were good enough. Finally. the gnats-' told them that
there was a Miss Snail staying In the gooseberry bush. She was
alone and lonely, and she needed someone to live wtth her.

·Fetch Miss Snail so she can meet our son.· Father Snafl
ordered the gnats.

It took one week for Miss Snall to travel from her home to
the tudoclcl. Upon her arrMJl. lhe and the common lffle anal
were Immediately married. A loud celebratlon follo\-led. The whole garden was making
merry notses, and Mother SnaU gave a very good speech. She said that 1he garden of
burdocks was the best In 1he world and that she and Father Snoll were gMng It as a
wedding present to the new couple. She told them that If they llved well and had many
children, they would be brought to the mansion. There, they would be bolled and ualan
by humans. This would make their life complete.

When the speech ended, Father Snell and Mother Snall went Inside their shells and
never came out again. Their son and his wife had many children afterward. They ruled the
garden of burdocks. IMng peacefully. The humans did not appear to bring them to the
mansion In order to boll and eat them. Because of this, they thought that the mansion was
destroyed and that all the humans on Earth had gone.

The garden they lived In continued to grow. They were happy about many things:
they thought that the rain fell for them and that the sun shone for them. They thought
that everything was made so that their llves would be happy. And they were Indeed very
happy.