The End of the Beginning Read Online Free

into anything which may want rushing out of," cautioned Edward. "If the sound comes again, I may be able to tell you something more."
    "
Ohhhhhh.
"
    "What is it?" Avon asked in a hushed tone.
    Edward considered. "It's something going,
'Ohhhhhh.'
"
    "Can you tell what the matter is?"
    "No, only what it's saying."
    "
Ohhhhhh.
"
    "It's right over there!" cried Avon, becoming more and more impatient. "This is my big chance."
    "It may be a warning to keep away!" shouted Edward, but it was too late. Avon was heading directly over to the other side of the branch. Edward followed slowly.
    When they got there, they found a worm curled up in almost a complete circle so that its two ends were nearly touching.
    "
Ohhhhhh,
" moaned the worm. The sound didn't come from one end or the other but from somewhere in the middle.
    Speaking to neither end, Avon asked, "Were you calling for help?"
    "Oh dear, oh dear," said the worm. "Yes, perhaps you can help me. I went to sleep, but when I woke up, I had forgotten which end of me was the front and which end the back. I don't know which is the beginning and which the end!" he wailed.
    Avon was astonished.
    "No clues?" asked Edward, who had remained calm.
    "Can
you
tell which end is which?" asked the worm, a bit vexed.
    "No, I can't," admitted Avon.
    Edward thought for a moment. Then he picked up a tiny bit of leaf and waved it through the air. "What I suggest," he said, "is that I tickle one of your ends and then the other. Whichever end sneezes should be your nose. With that as a start, we should be able to make a good guess of things, putting an end to your problem."
    "But my problem
is
my end," said the worm. "Besides, I'm terribly ticklish."
    Edward became cross. "Now see here, Worm. Pull yourself together. This is no laughing matter. It's not we who have lost our wits. If we can't help, you are doomed to a life without an end."
    The severity of Edward's tone calmed the worm. And when he considered what the ant had said, he realized how helpful Edward was trying to be. "I'm ready," the worm said grimly.
    Like a careful doctor, Edward applied the leaf bit to one end of the worm.
    Nothing happened.
    Edward stepped back, frowning. "I'll give it a try on the other end. If I'm wrong this time, I'm afraid we are in for an unhappy ending."
    Avon was so tense, he looked the other way.
    Edward applied the leaf bit again.

    The worm sneezed.
    "Sir," said Edward, pointing dramatically, "
that
is your beginning and
that
is your end."
    "Thank you," said the worm, "for putting an end to my troubles."
    The two adventurers once again set off.
    "That was wonderful, Edward," said Avon. "You were ever so confident."
    "It just looked that way," confessed Edward. "I don't mind telling you, I was worried for a moment. It worked out, but a situation like that can cause complications which can go on forever."
    "You mean ... endless?"
    "Exactly."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
In Which Avon Sings

    "I've such a terrible memory," said Avon as he and Edward were going along.
    "What have you forgotten?" asked Edward.
    "That's just it," said Avon. "I'm not sure at all. Have you any ideas?"
    "Perhaps you were trying to remember that song I wrote for the cricket. You know, the one with the catchy lyrics. Was that it?"
    "Exactly!" exclaimed Avon. "I was trying to sing it to myself, but all I could remember were the first four words. You know,
'Cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese... '
There, you see, I've forgotten the rest."
    Edward sang it through. "
'Cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese.'
"
    "Right," said Avon, and he sang the song. "
'Cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese.'
"

    "You
do
have a bad memory," said Edward. "You've got the words all right, but now you've mixed them up. It goes this way:
'Cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese.'
"
    "I've got it now," said Avon, and he tried it again. "
'Cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese.'
Is that it?"
    "Close enough."

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
In Which the Adventurers Enter a Curious House

    It was