Subverting expectations - often good (well, good when it really IS unexpected). So the sluggian was only helping the baby slug to either obtain breakfast or to enjoy a "ride" on the leaf! We should have known, really, that the flowers had been put in there for a reason, not just to look pretty . If this WERE a children's book, then the moral of the tale would be "don't judge by appearances alone" or some such. I've seen worse - actually I've seen much worse take a lot longer in the telling, with worse art :(