The Adventures of Slug Hamish
Once upon a time, in a garden in Scotland, there lived a wee slug called Hamish. Hamish was proud of his roots. He always wore his backpack with a Scottish Saltire pattern on it, and loved to show it off to anyone he met.
One day, Hamish’s neighbour, Angus, told him about a magical garden far away.
‘There you can find an endless flow of succulent crisp lettuce that grows all year round,’ he said.
He explained that the garden was tended by two kind slugs, Jenny and Fergus.
‘They always welcome visitors and particularly like to help those who are searching for their purpose in life,’ said Angus.
‘It sounds like a wonderful place,’ exclaimed Hamish.
Hamish was so inspired by this story that he decided to go on a journey to find the magical garden.
So, he put on his backpack and set off on his adventure, excited to meet new friends and see new things. Along the way he met many strangers who became friends. They always smiled when they saw his colourful backpack. Hamish would reach into it and give each new friend a present of some lettuce he had packed to eat on his journey.
He also met a wise old slug called Isla, who seemed less encouraging. Isla told him, “Hamish, you must tend to your own patch.”
Hamish was confused, but he kept going. He came across a farmer’s field and decided to eat some of the lettuce there as he did not have much of his own left. But he was spotted by the farmer who was not happy at all. Hamish narrowly escaped being squashed by hiding under a rock.
Despite all the challenges he faced, Hamish kept on going, and finally, he reached the magical garden. However, when he arrived, he could see that something was wrong. Jenny and Fergus were sitting outside the garden, looking very sad.
‘We’ve been tricked by a very greedy and untrustworthy slug,’ said Jenny.
They had sold their magical lettuce patch to a business slug called Ewan. He had promised them that they would continue to tend to the garden, but as soon as the deal was done, he had put up a fence around the garden and thrown them out. His plan was to keep selling the never-ending lettuce crop from the magical garden and become rich.
But the garden was not magical at all, it was the love and attention of Jenny and Fergus that was magical – it was their love that had made the lettuce grow all year round. The garden was now barren.
Hamish was heartbroken. He reached into his back pack to give Jenny and Fergus some lettuce to eat – but his back pack was empty, He had given it all away to the new friends he had met on his journey. He sat down next to Jenny and Fergus.
‘Don’t worry – everything will be fine,’ he said. Though, he did not really believe that himself.
Just then, Slug Lesley arrived. Lesley was Jenny and Fergus’s daughter. She had been on her own journey.
‘I have so much to tell you’, she said, ‘I met a wise old slug called Isla and she offered me some very good advice’.
Lesley was very excited as she explained how they should make their own garden.
‘Together we will to tend to it!’
Hamish realised what wise Isla had meant when she said, “you must tend to your own patch.” Sometimes, the best adventure is the one you make with your friends, and that the most important thing is to take care of the people close to you and the things that matter most.
From that day on Hamish, Lesley, Jenny and Fergus made a wonderful team. They created a new magical garden and planted a new lettuce patch. And thanks to their love and attention, the lettuce grew all year round.
But that was not the end of the story. All of Hamish’s new friends remembered his generosity and came to visit. They filled his Scottish Saltire backpack to the brim with crunchy, sweet lettuce.
‘Thank you all,’ he said. And with a big grin, ’I’m ready for my next adventure’.
The end.