A Fairytale

Well, not technically, but if it isn't realistic, then it's a fairytale, right? =P

Once upon a time there lived a colony of earthworms.  These earthworms lived in the soil of a corn field, and relished the frequent irrigation events that moistened the soil.  However, these earthworms were pretty sneaky.  When they learned that the local agronomist checked "their" field every week, they began to plot their strategy.  You see, sometimes the irrigation would come at inopportune times, and sometimes it wouldn't come soon enough.  So they devised a way to get irrigation whenever they wanted it...  One particular day, they were planning a picnic with some neighbor worms, and decided they needed the irrigation to hold off for a few days.  So when they heard the far off steps of the agronomist, they grouped together and mapped out the probable spot he would check.  Then they all started spitting furiously.  Spit!  Spit!  Spit!  Gurgle gurgle... Spit!  And so on.  This went on for several minutes until one of the youngest earthworms began to complain.  "I don't have any spit left!  I'm dry as dust!"  "Then you better start salivating some more!"  His mother admonished.  Finally, they heard the sharp sliding of the probe into the ground.  They all held their breaths and wriggled as close to the top as possible to hear the agronomist's verdict.  "95..." They waited for the 2nd foot... "95..."  They began to slowly grin.  "95 again."  And all the earthworms began to cheer in their little earthworm voices.  "We did it!"  They yelled in delight, and then called it a day.  You see, their strategy had been to make the soil wetter than it really was so the farmer wouldn't turn on the sprinkler.  When they wanted water, they would do the opposite and suck in as much water as they could hold so the soil would appear drier than it really was.  And so that is how the earthworms came to have the reputation of incredibly, terribly, sneaky little connivers. 

The End!