The End of the Beginning Read online

  The End of the Beginning

  Being the Adventures of a Small Snail (and an Even Smaller Ant)

  Avi

  * * *

  * * *

  WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY

  TRICIA TUSA

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  Harcourt, Inc.

  Orlando Austin New York San Diego Toronto London

  * * *

  Text copyright © 2004 by Avi

  Illustrations copyright © 2004 by Tricia Tusa

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted

  in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy,

  recording, or any information storage and retrieval system,

  without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work

  should be mailed to the following address: Permissions Department,

  Harcourt, Inc., 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, Florida 32887-6777.

  www.HarcourtBooks.com

  A substantially different version of this story was previously published as

  Snail Tale: The Adventures of a Rather Small Snail by Pantheon Books in 1972.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Avi. 1937–

  The end of the beginning: being the adventures of a small snail

  (and an even smaller ant)/Avi; illustrated by Tricia Tusa.

  p. cm.

  Summary: Avon the snail and Edward, a take-charge ant, set off together on a

  journey to an undetermined destination in search of unspecified adventures,

  [1. Voyages and travels—Fiction. 2. Adventure and adventurers—Fiction.

  3. Snails—Fiction. 4. Ants—Fiction. 5. Insects—Fiction.] I. Tusa, Tricia, ill.

  II. Title.

  PZ7.A953EP 2004

  [E]—dc22 2004002696

  ISBN 0-15-204968-1

  Text set in Mrs. Eaves

  Designed by Judythe Sieck

  E G I K L J H F D

  Manufactured in China

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  * * *

  To Avon from Edward, with surprise

  CHAPTER ONE

  In Which the Adventure Begins

  Avon, a rather small snail, read a book every day. He loved to read because books told him all about the things that creatures did when they went on adventures.

  Now, Avon had noticed that when creatures finished their adventures, and when the stories ended, the creatures were always happy. Because Avon had never had an adventure of his own, the more he read, the sadder he became. It was absolutely necessary, he decided, to have adventures for himself. Only then would he be happy.

  He sighed. "No adventures will ever come my way."

  A newt who was passing by overheard Avon's words. "Nay, lad, don't say such things."

  "But don't you see," said Avon, close to tears, "the most important thing in the world is having adventures. Not only have I not had any, I don't think I ever will. And if I don't have adventures—like the ones I've read about in these books—I'm bound to be unhappy forever."

  "Then go out and seek some adventures," said the newt.

  "I don't know how," Avon said.

  "Remember, lad," said the newt, "if it's going to be tomorrow, it might as well be today. And if it is today, it could have been yesterday. If it was yesterday, then you're over and done with it, and can write your own book. Think about that."

  Avon thought about it for a long moment, and then he said right out loud,

  "Yes, I will do it. Yesterday for sure!"

  CHAPTER TWO

  In Which Avon Gets Some Advice

  Avon began to prepare for his adventures by putting his house in proper order, certain that if he did not leave right away, he might never go. Then, just as he was about to close the door, he heard a voice.

  "Not going off without saying good-bye, are you?"

  It was an ant.

  "I've been living here," said the ant, "for a whole year, and you have never once said hello."

  "I am sorry," replied Avon. "But there was never anyone around to introduce us."

  "I kept telling myself you were just being polite," said the ant. "And I'm glad to learn I was right. Still, if you have ever noticed, while it's awkward to say hello without introductions, one can always say good-bye."

  "Now that you mention it, I have noticed," said Avon. "When one sets out on a journey such as I'm about to take, it's necessary to notice everything."

  "What sort of a journey is it?" asked the ant.

  Avon told the ant all about his plan to seek adventures. "Of course," said Avon, "I've never done anything like this before, so if you have any suggestions, I would be happy to hear them."

  A worried look came upon the ant's face. "Do you mean to tell me you don't really know what sort of journey you're going on?"

  "I'm afraid not," said Avon.

  "Hmmmm," said the ant. "You'll need a lot of questions answered."

  "Might you have the answers?"

  "Well," said the ant, "if I don't have a right answer, at least I'll have a wrong one."

  "As long as it's an answer," said Avon, "I can use it. You absolutely must come with me."

  "I'd very much like to," confessed the ant. "If I do, however, there won't be anybody for you to say good-bye to. Half the fun of going away is saying good-bye."

  "There, you see!" exclaimed Avon. "If you weren't here, I would have gone without saying good-bye to anyone."

  "I suggest that you say good-bye to me," said the ant. "Then leave. After a few moments, I'll come along and we can go on together."

  Avon readily agreed.

  "Only let's get it over with," said the ant. "I really hate long good-byes."

  "Good-bye, Ant," began Avon. "Don't spend any time worrying about me. Have a pleasant time, do lots of work, get plenty of exercise. I'll let you know when I'm coming back."

  "Good-bye, Snail. I do hope you have some exciting adventures. Take care of yourself, have a good time, and don't forget to write."

  With tears in his eyes, Avon shut the door and started on his adventures.

  The ant waited for a few minutes, then skitted out to join Avon, who had set off down the branch.

  "By the way," said Avon, as they began to move slowly along together, "do you have a name?"

  "As a matter of fact, I do. It's Edward."

  "My name is Avon."

  Edward reached out to shake hands with Avon, but when he realized Avon did not have hands, he shook one of his own. "Pleased to meet you," he said.

  CHAPTER THREE

  In Which Music Is Introduced

  Avon and Edward had gone about three inches when Edward said, "Avon, what do you know about music?"

  "Oh, nothing more than a few tunes, most of which I've forgotten."

  Edward was concerned. "In looking for adventures," he explained, "one does a lot of marching. It's unheard of to have adventures without marching music."

  "I'm glad you warned me, Edward. Perhaps you could teach me some."

  "Delighted," said Edward. "This is a very ancient marching song that has been sung in my family for thousands of years. It goes like this:

  "March, march

  Golly, golly, golly.

  March, march

  Golly, golly, golly.

  March, march

  Oh, golly, golly, golly, oh.

  Oh, oh, oh,

  Oh, golly, golly, golly, oh.

  Oh, golly, golly, golly, oh.

  March, march, march!"

  "What an inspiring song," said Avon.

  "One of the better things about it," Edward pointed out, "is the fact that it can be sung from eith
er end. I sing it from the beginning, and my father sings it from the end."

  "Can it be sung from the middle?"

  "Absolutely," said Edward. "That's how my mother always does it. As you can see, we are a family of individuals."

  "Ah, but at least you're all singing the same song," said Avon.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  In Which Edward Becomes Exhausted

  Not long after Avon and Edward had set off on their adventures, Edward suddenly stopped. "I can't go on this way," he announced.

  Avon became alarmed. "What's the matter?"

  "My knees hurt," replied Edward, sitting down and panting. "I had no idea it would be so exhausting to go so slowly," he explained.

  Avon began to feel guilty. "Is it wrong to go slow?"

  "It's not wrong," said Edward, "it's just that you take such a long time."

  Avon was embarrassed. "I know," he said softly. "It's much better for creatures to give than to take."

  "It's very kind of you to offer to give me some of your time," said Edward, "but frankly, Avon, I don't think you have any to spare. You seem to need a great deal of it."

  Avon was very upset. "What are we going to do, then?"

  All of a sudden Edward leaped up and ran. He ran so fast and far that Avon lost sight of him for three days and three nights.

  At last, however, Edward returned, lay down, and closed his eyes.

  "Are you feeling better?" Avon asked as carefully as possible.

  "Not at all," answered Edward, breathing hard.

  "Why, what happened?"

  "I ran about in every possible direction."

  "Wasn't it interesting?"

  "Actually," said Edward, "no matter how fast I went, or where I went, all I saw were branches and leaves. The truth is, it wasn't very different there ... than ... here."

  "Edward, you needn't worry about that," said Avon sympathetically. "As far as I can see, I don't get anywhere, either."

  "True," said Edward. "I rushed off and you stayed put. But, nevertheless, we're both here."

  "What's more," said Avon, "it took the same amount of time for both of us to get there."

  CHAPTER FIVE

  In Which the Adventurers Get Lost

  It was raining very hard on the branch—so hard that Avon and Edward were having difficulties getting on. Edward kept racing ahead, ducking under a leaf, and waiting for Avon to catch up.

  "Have you any idea how long this journey is going to take?" asked Edward.

  Avon stopped suddenly. "Me?" he asked.

  "I thought you were leading the way."

  Edward was upset. "Great," he announced. "We're lost."

  Avon felt like crying. "I'm sorry, Edward. My mind is on any adventures that might come along. I wasn't paying particular attention to where we were going."

  "There, there," said Edward, realizing he had hurt Avon's feelings. "Getting yourself lost is easy. Happens all the time. It's finding yourself that's hard. So, I suggest we stop at the first door we come to and ask for suggestions."

  "You mean directions, don't you?"

  "It's hard enough being lost," explained Edward, "but worse still if you don't know what you're lost from. So, suggestions first, directions second."

  It wasn't long before they came to a door, upon which they knocked. After a while they heard some steps and then a tiny voice.

  "Who is it?"

  "It's Avon and Edward."

  "Do I know you?" asked the voice.

  "I don't think so."

  "Is there anyone out there who knows you?" asked the voice.

  Avon said, "Edward here is a very good friend of mine. Do you want to speak to him?"

  "Does anyone know him?"

  "I consider myself his best friend," said Avon.

  "Oh, well," said the voice. "With so many friends, you both must be quite nice." Opening the door, the voice revealed herself to be an old salamander. Urging the travelers to come in out of the rain, she led them to her kitchen, where they could warm themselves before a fire. Once they were settled down with hot drinks and cookies, she asked what had brought them to her door.

  "Well," said Edward, reaching for another cookie, "we wanted to know if this was the right road."

  "I think," said the salamander, "that depends on which particular place you are going to."

  "We hadn't decided," said Avon.

  "In that case," said the salamander, "you'll want to continue down the branch until the first turning, then go to the left."

  "What's that way?" inquired Edward.

  "I don't know," she replied. "I've never been that way myself. But I have been every other way and I can assure you, they all lead to particular places."

  Edward took a sip of tea. "Then that certainly sounds like the way we should go."

  By the time they finished their snack, it had stopped raining, and the two friends were anxious to start. They thanked the salamander for her hospitality.

  "No bother at all," she said. "But, boys, promise me one thing. If you know you are going to be lost again, do let me know ahead of time. Then I'll have a proper supper prepared for you."

  "Madam," said Avon, "believe me, the next time we don't know where we are, we shall come right here."

  CHAPTER SIX

  In Which Dragons Are Mentioned

  "Edward," said Avon, "do you think we'll meet up with a dragon one of these days? Our travels won't be much of an adventure if we don't."

  "I must warn you," said Edward, "nowadays dragons are rather shy. They disguise themselves to look like other creatures. You'll see when we meet one. They deny it every time. As a rule, though, I would say that good dragons disguise themselves as nice creatures, and bad dragons as nasty ones."

  "It's a good thing you told me that," said Avon. "I've been looking for dragons. Now I'll look for something else, since I do indeed want to see one."

  Edward nodded. "My father used to say, 'Edward, it's better to look for nothing and find something than to look for something and find nothing.'"

  "I'll keep a sharp lookout," said Avon.

  "A look in might be useful, too," said Edward.

  Avon suddenly stopped. "Look!" he cried. 'That may be a dragon!"

  Curled up by a leaf was a young, sleeping mouse.

  "He certainly doesn't look like a dragon, does he?" asked Avon.

  "That means he probably is one," said Edward.

  The two friends crept cautiously toward the mouse.

  "What a wonderful disguise!" exclaimed Avon. "I never would have guessed he was a dragon."

  The mouse began to stir.

  "Now, be careful," warned Edward. "We don't know yet if he's a good dragon or a bad one."

  The mouse opened his eyes and saw Avon and Edward looking at him. "I beg your pardon," he said.

  "We didn't mean to wake you," said Avon. "We're on our adventures, and we wanted to see a dragon."

  "A dragon?" said the mouse shyly. "I'm afraid you won't find one here."

  Edward nudged Avon. Avon nodded.

  "You can't fool us," said Edward. "You're a dragon."

  The mouse looked himself over.

  "We won't tell anyone your secret," Avon said gently.

  "I do hate to disappoint you, sirs," said the mouse, "but really, I am not a dragon."

  "You have a tail, don't you?" asked Edward.

  The mouse had to admit that.

  "There," said Avon triumphantly. "Dragons have tails."

  "And four feet," said Edward. "You do have four feet."

  "Same as dragons," put in Avon.

  "And a nose, a mouth, and two eyes!" cried Edward. "All just like a dragon. No sir, Mister Dragon, you can fool some creatures, but you can't fool Avon and Edward."

  "Do you know," whispered the astonished mouse, "my father never told me I was a dragon."

  "Ask your mother," suggested Edward.

  "You'll have to excuse me," said the mouse, who was by then quite excited. "This is all very sudden to me
. I need to go home and tell my friends who I am." And off he ran.

  "Oh dear," said Avon as the mouse scampered away. "We forgot to find out if he was a good or a bad dragon."

  "He was young," said Edward, "so he probably hasn't made up his mind."

  "I do hope he decides to become a good dragon," said Avon. "The world needs more good dragons."

  "It would certainly be a comfort," said Edward.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  In Which a Battle Is Fought

  Edward and Avon came to a fork in their branch.

  "It seems to me," said Edward, "that you won't have had a proper series of adventures unless you've gone through thick and thin."

  "Thick and thin what?" asked Avon.

  "Branches," replied Edward. "We've been on a thick branch; it's time we tried a thin one."

  So, very carefully, the two creatures moved out along the thin branch. Suddenly, Edward halted.

  "Avon! Look!"

  From the opposite end of the very branch they were traveling on, another snail was coming toward them. What's more, there was not enough room for them to pass each other by. One of the snails would surely get knocked off.

  Edward was very excited. He ran up and down and around in circles. "Avon," he said, "this is the adventure you have been waiting for. That snail is coming our direction. We are going his. One of you has to give way. You're going to fight a famous battle and win!"

  "What if I lose?" asked Avon.

  "Avon, if you win this battle, you will be the most famous snail in the world. This is what going on adventures is all about!"

  "The truth is, Edward, I've never fought a famous battle before. How do you do it?"

  "Hurry down the branch and push him out of the way. He will push you back. Push him again. That's a battle."