The Wail Of A Snail
About twenty years ago I had living with me an aunt of mother's and her old friend, both maiden ladies and very superstitious. One autumn evening we were in the front sitting room, a heavy curtain drawn across the big bay window. Auntie was reading aloud and we others were sewing. Suddenly a blood-curdling shriek came from behind the curtain; we were petrified for the moment. Then it came again. Auntie at once said it was an omen. I said, "Nonsense, there is a cause for it." I went and investigated but could not find anything likely to cause the sound. It came once more, so we packed up and went into the back sitting room for the rest of the evening.
A fortnight after, we were in the front sitting room as usual, the curtain drawn over the bay. Suddenly we heard the horrible shriek again. I thought Auntie was going to faint. She looked so ghastly. It continued several times. Determined to solve the mystery, I got a candle to search closer. I moved a table on which were some flower pots, and while doing so, the shriek came from behind me. I turned, pulled up the blind, and then burst out laughing just as we heard the shriek again. Auntie plucked up courage to come to look, and we watched a big brown snail crawling up the window. It was a wet foggy night so the pane was wet, and as the snail drew up its tail for a move forward it caused the horrible sound. Had I not heard it myself I could not have believed so small a thing could have made such a sound.
~W.J., Chicago, Illinois
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