ail M ria Fleming by 0, Illustrated by Rusty Fletcher Snail loves his job delivering the mail. Through rain, sleet, snow, and hail, Snail delivers the mail without fail! Snail follows a trail through the forest as he brings letters to all the animals. 2 There's just one problem. Snail is slow. Very ... very ... very slow. And the mail is always late. Very late. One day, Snail delivers a birthday card to Quail. .. I .•.. "I didn't know today was your birthday!" Snail says cheerfully. "It isn't," Quail huffs. "My birthday was three months ago! Snail, you are late with the mail again!" Snail feels terrible about the late card. He slides sadly along the trail. Finally, he reaches Frog's pond. 6 "I have a postcard from your aunt," Snail says. "When is she getting back from vacation?" "She's been back for five months!" Frog croaks. "Snail, you are late with the mail again!" 7 Snail hates being late. He starts to wail. "I am the worst mail snail that ever lived!" he cries. Snail cries so hard, his tears make a little stream. The stream of tears gives Snail an idea! Snail finds an old pail. He adds pail after pail of water from the pond to make his stream. Soon the stream becomes a river. 9 Snail pulls a leaf from a plant. "This will make a perfect sail for a boat!" 10 Next, Snail finds a fat twig. "Now I just need to attach the sail to this twig!" Then Snail borrows a hammer and a nail from Frog. He nails the sail in place. 12 Snail climbs aboard his new boat. Now he can sail down the trail with the mail! "I'll never be late with the mail again!" Snail says happily. And he isn't-not even when it hails! 13 ail Listen to the riddle sentences. Add the right letter or letters to the -ail sound to finish each one. 1 Let's walk along the nature ail. 2 You can put the water in a ail. 3 I need a hammer and a 4 The big storm brought rain and 5 The cute little puppy wags its ail. ail. ail. 6 "I move slowly," said the 7 You might receiv