Crab Story
Crab Story :
Once up a time there were three crabs. Daddy crab, Mummy crab and Baby crab.
They lived in a rock pool at the seaside. Twice a day, the tide would come in and refill their rock pool with fresh seawater.
“What’s beyond our rock pool?" Baby crab asked one day.
“Danger," Daddy crab replied, there are seagulls and other things that would eat you."
“Well I want to see." Baby crab said.
“No you should stay here." Mummy crab replied. “You don’t want to go exploring, you might get lost."
But Baby crab was a naughty crab, he waited until both his parents were asleep under their rocks and the tide was in and then he walked sideways towards the top of the rock pool. He slipped over and suddenly fell into another pool.
He looked about and there were red things sitting on rocks waving. He waved back.
The red things just continued waving. How rude he thought.
He went over to one and touched the red arm. The arms all suddenly shot inside.
“Hello," he said. The red waving things continued to ignore him.
Suddenly he realised that he was all alone and the red waving things no longer looked friendly they looked scary. “Mum, dad," he gurgled, but there was no reply. Suddenly he saw a large orange thing move slowly towards him.
“Where’s my baby?" Mummy crab shouted when she woke up the following morning, getting ready for a good morning of sifting through sand, feeding."
“I’ll ask the barnacles?" Daddy crab said. He wandered over to the nearest group of barnacles. “Hey barnacles, did you see our son last night?"
“We never saw anything, we’ve been filter-feeding all night," one barnacle said.
“You know we leave each other alone. It’s the first law of the rock-pool, we leave you alone and you leave us alone."
“I think I might have seen him go into the next pool," one barnacle said. “I’m not facing that way, I only saw him out the corner of my eye."
“Hmmmm," Daddy crab said. “I’ll go and have a look."
He sidled back to Mummy crab. “One of the barnacles thinks he might have seen him wander into the next rock pool."
“That’s where…."
“Yes that’s where the starfish lives."
“You have to go and get him." Mummy crab said.
“Yes well you wait here, keep an eye out for seagulls. As it’s no longer high tide, I’m going to have to go… overland."
“Well be careful. Love you."
“Love you," said Daddy crab as he walked up to the edge of the rock pool."
Carefully keeping an eye out for seagulls, he left their pool and made a dash for the next pool.
He saw some sea-anemones waving. No point asking them, everyone knows anemones can’t speak. Now where was that starfish and more importantly, where was his son.
Suddenly there was a shout of “Dad,"
Daddy crab saw his son run towards him. “Son we were worried, your mother is beside herself with worry."
“Sorry dad, I wanted to see what was beyond our rock pool."
“Ah son, we never told you but there’s a starfish that lives here. He can eat you."
“The starfish won’t eat you. He’s my friend."
“Now don’t be silly son, we can’t be friends with starfish, they’ve only got five legs. We have eight. Come back with me, we will have to be quick, because there might be seagulls about."
“Will the seagulls be my friend?"
“No, the seagulls will eat you now follow me."
“Bye," shouted Baby crab.
Daddy crab was suddenly aware of an orange arm waving back. Starfish whatever next.
The two crabs walked back towards the edge of the rock pool.
Daddy crab kept a look out; there were no seagulls about. “Right now son, run, run as fast you can. Don’t look back we need to move fast as we don’t want to be eaten by seagulls.
Baby crab ran out of the rock pool, over the rocks and back into his home pool and into the welcoming claws of his mother. “Ah son, “ Mummy crab said, she would have had a tear in her eye, but since she was already in water she didn’t.
“I am so glad to see you. Where’s your father?"
“I’m here." Daddy crab answered.
“Now don’t ever do that again, not until you are a big crab and able to give a seagull a nasty nip." Mummy crab scolded.
“I won’t," said Baby crab eyeing up the rock pool that lay in the other direction.
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