snail child memories

I heard that snails are the new owl in the craft world.

I think they are very cute and likeable creatures (except when they are after my greens in the garden). I have many fond memories about snails from the time when I was small. Actually, the more I think about pretty spiralled shells and sensitive eye stalks the more stories spring to mind.

Me as Helix Pomatia - read the story below

I used to like when they crawled around in the summer months after a downpour. Those nice big ones, the type you can eat though I don't like eating them. Then those small stripy ones, gluing themselves high up along tall-stemmed grasses, making something of a new species in flowers - I used to pick these 'snail flowers' into bunches as a kid.

via Tölgyesi Kata

One year my dad made a really cool snail costume for me to wear at nursery for the February winter-chasing festival we call Farsang. I was so chuffed. He made it out of big pieces of card and spelled out the word 'Edible' on the back of the shell in blue electrical tape.

When it was time to change into our costumes, I insisted on undressing to my underwear because, as I explained to the nursery nurses, snails don't wear anything except their houses on their back.

Cacao snails - recipe here on Csilla's blog!

And oh, the cacao snails of elevenses from the village bakery! I liked them best cut in half - having two halves somehow hightened the deliciousness for my childish palate.

During the summer hols, when not watching one of my favourite Hungarian cartoons like the one about the pond skater, I would be roaming around the meadow or the orchard making up stories in my head, playing, wearing my red leather wood-sole clogs.

One of those summer days, struck by a stroke of genius, I plucked a few snails out of the flowerbeds and planted them on top of the clogs, then walked around proudly in my new 'snail fashion shoes', adjusting the critters when they were about to crawl off... happy carefree days!

How about you? Do you have any snailsy stories?