Avon, an unworldly snail, and his best friend, Edward the ant, leave their homes in search of their first real adventure. Check out The End of the Beginning, a modern fable by Avi.
Author: Avi
Avon, an unworldly snail, and his best friend, Edward the ant, leave their homes in search of their first real adventure. Check out The End of the Beginning, a modern fable by Avi.
Avon and Edward
In his little home inside a tree, a small snail called Avon reads stories about adventures. The only trouble is he’s never had an adventure of his own. He and his friend Edward, an outspoken ant, set out on a journey in search of adventure.Suggestions and Directions
They spend months traveling along their tree branch, unsure of where they’re going and how they plan to get there. They stop for “suggestions and directions” from a lonely salamander; they [kwlink 7809[b]sing[/kwlink] a merry tune, a song that Edward’s family often sings; and they search for dragons…because you can’t have an adventure without dragons! But finding a dragon isn’t so easy, especially when they disguise themselves as small creatures like mice.
Battle of the Branch
As Avon and Edward continue their journey, they face their first bump in the road—a bump which is in fact another snail heading in their direction. Edward encourages Avon to build momentum and push the other snail off the branch. But it takes until nightfall for the slow moving snails to meet. And in the dark, they pass by each other without even noticing.
The Ultimate Question
Throughout their journey they meet all kinds of creatures from a timid cricket to whom they teach a new song, to a caterpillar preparing his cocoon. And after months spent seeking adventure, Avon and Edward reach the tip of the branch. They wonder, is this the end of the branch or the beginning? Has their adventure come to an end, or has it only just begun?
The Bottom Line
The End of the Beginning is a cute story about a small snail branching out into the world. This short fable is written like our most treasured classics, such as Winnie the Pooh. At only 143 pages, it’s a quick and easy read. But don’t let that fool you. Beneath the surface story, you’ll find loads wisdom and insight.
The End of the Beginning Rating:
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