After the rain we gathered to play tennis—doubles—and were removing wet spots, passing a squeegee back and forth. I noticed that Andi, an animal biologist, had retreated to the tall grass just outside the court. When she returned, she crouched with a stick and a leaf. A worm had gotten on the court, and she was coaxing it onto the leaf. Then, she took the trembling leaf and its passenger to the grassy area just outside the fence. While the rest of us squeegeed, she rescued at least three worms.

Marci, with compassion or mischief in her eyes, beckoned Andi and pointed to a worm the next court over.

“I’ve done enough,” said Andi. “I’m only going to rescue the worms on our court.” I noticed that the distant worm was diligently making its way toward the long grass just outside the court. However, it was quite a journey and I wondered if the sun would dry the worm and bake it before it could reach safety in the succulent grass.

“When we’re done playing, we can see if the worm’s made it,” said Marci. The worm was writhing, suffused with life and movement, and I wondered if worms feel pain, if they have any idea whatsoever of the situation they’re in.

Allen asked when we could finally begin playing, but Andi found one more worm on our court and felt compelled to rescue it. Although Allen bounced impatiently on his heels, I seized on the opportunity to dart over to the next court, grab a leaf from a small pile on the side, and attempt to lure the previously spurned worm onto it. After three attempts, I couldn’t get more than its head onto the leaf. “Try another leaf,” Marci suggested from the next court, and I snatched a huge one, strode over, and guided the writhing pink thing onto its safety raft. The leaf quivered, but the worm did not fall as I carried it across the court and deposited it in the nurturing grass.

The Quran says that to save one life it is as if one has saved all of humankind. I wonder if anything like this holds true for worms, whether, in an ocean of worms enriching soil, one more or less makes any difference.