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墨書 Inktalez
"Oh, alright." Xiao Zhuzi replied while rubbing her eyes vigorously, trying to stay awake. When she slowly climbed down from the back of the Snail Village Chief, she was surprised to find herself standing in front of a massive stone. Surrounding the stone were many fallen leaves, each the size of a small carpet, soft to the touch when stepped on. The Snail Village Chief gently lifted one of the large leaves, revealing a hidden entrance before Xiao Zhuzi. With a smile, he beckoned her, "Come on, Xiao Zhuzi, this is the entrance to our Snail Village!"
Looking at the pitch-black, bottomless opening, Xiao Zhuzi felt a pang of fear and hesitated to approach. The Snail Village Chief noticed her tension and said gently, "Are you afraid of the dark, Xiao Zhuzi? Don’t worry, I’m here with you!" He paused for a moment before explaining, "We Giant Snails are naturally afraid of light, which is why we prefer to come out at night. Our eyesight is quite poor; we mainly rely on our antennae to sense our surroundings. That’s why there are no light sources in Snail Village. But you don’t need to worry; it’s very safe here as long as you stick close to me." With that, he crawled into the opening first and extended his antennae to encourage Xiao Zhuzi to follow.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Zhuzi gathered her courage and followed him in. She carefully placed one hand on the Snail Village Chief's shell while using the other to gently touch the wall of the tunnel as she slowly made her way inside. Once she entered the tunnel, a wave of dampness hit her face; it felt a bit stifling. She couldn't help but recall that she had met the Snail Village Chief right after a heavy rain. It seemed that Giant Snails truly enjoyed living in moist environments.
As time passed, Xiao Zhuzi's eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, and the previously indistinct shapes around her began to take on clearer outlines. Feeling more relaxed, her thoughts began to wander; she marveled at how fascinating Giant Snails were and wondered what her parents were doing at that moment and if they were anxiously searching for her. Before she knew it, they had walked quite far into the tunnel without her noticing that it was gradually widening as they reached deeper into the cave.
Just then, a voice broke through her daydreaming. She focused and saw two slightly smaller Giant Snails approaching from the opposite direction. They bowed respectfully to the Snail Village Chief and greeted him. The Snail Village Chief responded kindly and gently touched their antennae with his own. Curious about this scene before her, Xiao Zhuzi noticed that the two smaller Giant Snails seemed equally intrigued by her and exchanged surprised glances with her as they passed by. She even caught snippets of their whispered conversation about this peculiar human-like creature that their chief had brought back.
Just as Xiao Zhuzi found this amusing, she suddenly heard the Snail Village Chief remind her, "Xiao Zhuzi, be careful of those side paths!" Side paths? At his words, Xiao Zhuzi quickly looked around and indeed found many dark passages branching off in various directions; some extended far into the shadows where only vague shapes could be seen. Confused, she asked, "Wise Snail Village Chief, where do these paths lead?"
The Snail Village Chief patiently explained, "Our Snail Village is quite large; over five hundred Giant Snails live here! These paths are like a maze leading to each Giant Snail's home and some communal areas. In our Snail Village, everyone is very united and friendly; we each have different responsibilities—some search for food, some patrol for safety, while others keep the village clean. Life here is very harmonious." As he spoke, he gently waved his antennae towards a left passageway. "Look over there; that path leads to the Snail Hospital."
"Wow! There's even a hospital in Snail Village? That's amazing!" Xiao Zhuzi exclaimed in surprise.
"Ha ha! That's right!" The Snail Village Chief chuckled warmly before continuing his introduction. "Xiao Zhuzi, have you noticed how Giant Snails leave behind shiny trails of mucus when they crawl? That mucus is invaluable! It not only helps us move smoothly and safely but also has incredible healing properties! Whether it's minor injuries to our bodies or slight damage to our shells, we can repair ourselves using our secreted mucus!"
Seeing that Xiao Zhuzi was listening intently and nodding frequently, the Snail Village Chief continued: "However, if any Giant Snail suffers more serious injuries or if their shell is significantly damaged, they need to stay at the Snail Hospital for treatment. There’s a professional Snail Medical Team there who will use plenty of mucus to repair injured areas or damaged shells and take good care of those wounded Giant Snails to help them recover quickly."
"Wow! The mucus of Giant Snails is so powerful!" Xiao Zhuzi couldn't help but exclaim. "I never knew Giant Snails had such amazing abilities!"
The Snail Village Chief nodded kindly and then pointed with his antennae towards a nearby path saying, "Not only do we have a hospital here; we also have a school! Look over there—just follow this path all the way to the end and you'll find the Snail School!"
"Huh?" Xiao Zhuzi's eyes widened in disbelief as her mouth formed an astonished "O." "Giant Snails go to school too? What do they teach at Snail School? Do they learn math and English like us?"
The Snail Village Chief chuckled at Xiao Zhuzi's innocent expression and said with laughter: "Ha ha ha! Human children need knowledge to grow up, but we Giant Snails are different! Little Giant Snails can leave their mothers right after birth and live independently! However, without enough survival skills, they might encounter many dangers. Therefore, the main purpose of Snail School is to teach little Giant Snails how to survive better in this world—like how to find safe edible food and how to cleverly avoid fierce predators."
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