Doc Barbara and the worm rebellion

In our last thrilling episode we left two vital plot lines in suspense: why were the sheep snickering and what were the worms up to? Put the sheep out of your mind for this instalment  (you might have guessed anyway and they are not a pleasant image when giggling) and we will discover why the worms were revolting. Please do not crack that old joke about worms always being revolting - because I want to do it. There was general agitation (not that one about "Who's he?" and "What wars did he fight in?" please) because Doc Barbara was now more focused on Darwin, her newly adopted dog than them, her previously beloved invertebrates. Although she was busying herself translating an arcane tome about Lithuanian worms into Indo-European and that evinced a continuing interest, the chief amongst them decided to call a meeting. His official name is Worm One because their spelling is deficient and that's all they can manage.

They really aren't very bright, are they?

When they had all donned their woolly jumpers and risen to the surface, Worm One explained that this was to be an urgent council/counsel meeting like the famous Diet of Worms. Worm Two spoke up and said he didn't like the sound of that one little bit as he had no wish to be eaten. Worm One was beginning to lose the will to live, let alone conduct a meeting, but he called upon his inner resources of character, explained the historical reference and continued. Ignoring the clamour to visit a city named after them, he stated that had nothing against Darwin, whose paws created pleasant percussion beats as he walked above them, but he was stealing their thunder. 

Worm Four (Worm Three having gone into premature hibernation) piped up that, if there was going to be a storm, he was going back underground, woolly jumper or no woolly jumper. Worm One hastily concluded, ordering a week's strike during which they would not - absolutely not - pull down the leaves on Doc Barbara's lawn. All nodded in agreement - they are quite easily impressed and like to nod to show they are following the discourse. There will be no blacklegs, ordered Worm One, and closed the meeting before anyone could make a comment about legs, whether black or any other colour.  Worm Five had already opened his mouth.