Mr. and Mrs. InchWorm were so proud of their little inchworms. They had twelve children, and they were all at the dinner table.
"Why don't you all crawl outside and see if you can learn to measure?" Papa Inchworm said.
So they inched their way up the tunnel and eventually onto the grass. The leader of the twelve little inchworms was named Slimey. Slimey Inchworm, just a little guy, with leadership qualities. And he had something magic, just in case.
"Follow me gang," he said to the others. "I want you to do as I tell you. First, all of you line up in a row, I'm going to teach you to measure.
And so they did. Slimey moved this one here and that one there, and then he crawled on top. The little group looked like a foot. It was a fabulous work of art.
"Now, who can guess what lesson you just learned?" Slimey asked.
The little inchworms all looked at each other with a puzzled expression. Finally, they shrugged their little worm shoulders and said in unison,"We don't know, what is it?"
Slimy, the leader, answered. "The lesson is: Twelve Inches Make a Foot."
The little inchworms looked at each other and the shape of the foot, and then they burst out laughing.
Then they followed Slimey back down the tunnel and into their worm house. Mom and Dad Inchworm were snuggled up to each other.
The twelve little inchworms crawled into their little worm beds and dozed off. When they awoke they heard little baby worm sounds coming from the nursery. They had a whole bunch of new baby worms to play with.
Mama Worm spoke. "Slimey, would you please take all these little inch's up for a look around and try to teach them something, please? I need a little rest."
"Sure, Mom, follow me gang," he said.
Now there was an even larger group of the little inchworms. Finally they reached the grass and sunshine.
"Everyone get in line, please," Slimey asked.
Before long the inch worms were in two rows. Slimey took a head count.
"Now, listen up everyone. I want all of you in the second row to follow the group in front of you. Do exactly as they do," he ordered.
When they were all through Slimey climed on top and asked," Now what have you learned?"
Once again, they were stumped.
"The lesson is,: Twenty Four Inches Makes Two Feet."
And sure enough, they had shaped themselves to look like two feet. They were real proud as they looked at each other, and they giggled.
Then Slimey led them all back down the tunnel into the worm living room.
"Why don't you all take your naps now?" Mom and Dad Inchworm asked.
So they found their little inchworm beds and dozed off.
When they awoke they heard more baby inchworm sounds.
It was the neighbors, and they had a large family. With all those inchworms crammed into one house, they could hardly move.
"Let's all go outside and we'll have another game and lesson," Slimey said. So, like little inchworm soldiers, they all crawled up the tunnel and onto the grass.
"We don't have a nice yard like you," the leader of the neighbor inchworms said. His name was Slicky, and he had a sad look on his little worm face.
"Well, I think I can help you," Slimey said. "Listen up, everybody."
So the whole bunch of them stood at attention and listened carefully to Slimey.
"We're heading next door, then we'll all line up. Follow me,"Slimey said as he slithered through the grass.
Eventually they reached the neighbor inchworms property.
"See what I mean," Slicky said. " Not a blade of grass or a tree or a bush. No yard at all! It's ugly."
Slimey spoke. "Every single one of you little inchworms line up, and then close your eyes real tight."
They all inched here and there, lining up just as Slimey had told them. Then they closed their little worm eyes real tight.
"Don't open your eyes until I tell you," Slimey said. While he stood in front of them he took another head count. There were thirty six inchworms, counting himself. It was time for the secret he had been keeping. He reached into his worm pocket and got out his magic worm wand. He waved it a few times. And lo and behold, trees and grass and bushes suddenly appeared and turned the bare yard into a thing of beauty.
"Now, everyone open your eyes and tell me what you learned."
In unison their little worm eyes opened, and they looked around at the beautiful yard. But they couldn't figure out what the lesson was. They stared back at Slimey.
"Well, you don't know, do you?" he asked. "Let me tell you. Ready?"
They all nodded their little worm heads. They wanted to know the lesson.
"The lesson is,: Thirty Six Little Inches Make A Yard," Slimey said.
All of the little inchworms laughed so hard as they rolled and rolled in the grass. That was a fun way to learn to measure
