The Dish by the Green Door

I am small and brown. My back is full of spines. They are sharp.

Every night I go across the garden. First, the apple tree. I look for slugs under the wet leaves. I eat any slug I find.

Then the wall. There's a small hole at the bottom. I bend my body and push. I'm fat, but I'm not too fat.

Then the house with the green door. A woman puts a dish there for me. I like her food, especially the fish.

But tonight the dish is empty. It was empty last night too.

I sit by the dish for a long time. Then I go back under the apple tree. It's my everyday walk.

Tomorrow night I'll look in the dish again.