The Crab who lost his shell

There once was a crab who was tired of his shell. He was one of those curious creatures who are called hermits because they carry their homes on their back. The truth is that these crabs are very friendly, but this is the story of a particularly solitary hermit. This crab was always complaining. He would scuttle around the sea, clacking his pincers and swiveling his eyes, looking for problems to solve. "That seaweed is overgrown" he would say "That sand is too gritty" "The water is too wet!" He could be crabby but he was proud that he kept the sea in order.

Even though the crab tried hard, it was lonely work protecting the sea. He was too busy to ask what other creatures were up to and if he left them to it, who knew what might happen! The crab was only really happy tucked up in his shell at the end of a long day. One morning the crab woke up feeling unusual. He scuttled around the seabed but couldn't remember where he was or what he was doing. The seaweed looked fine the way it was, the sand was soft and the water was wet. This is very strange he thought, maybe I don't have to work today.

The crab felt very uncomfortable and looked around, swiveling his eyes very quickly. There must be something to do he thought. A crab can't just float around under the sea, singing and dancing, it wouldn't be right! Something must be wrong. As he slowed down, the crab felt the weight of his shell and the way it pinched his sides when he walked. That's it he thought! It's my shell that's the problem. I've always know it was a bad shell. It's a funny shape, it's the wrong colour, and it's too heavy to carry on my back. The crab imagined himself in a brand new shell. It would be perfect, smooth and shiny, and so light that he wouldn't walk, he would float!

Full of excitement the crab dropped his shell and scuttled into the sea, thinking about how wonderful everything would be now that he had no shell to slow him down. Why should I carry my shell around he thought? I didn't choose it. I didn't even choose to be a crab! How unfair! He clacked his pincers more than ever and almost pinched a passing fish.Then he felt very sorry. "oh I didn't mean it" he said to the fish as it swam away. I shouldn't be snapping. I want to look after the sea again, but there's something wrong with me. The crab felt so lonely that he lay on his back and closed his eyes, trying to curl his legs into a shell. Even though he lived in the sea, he felt afraid of the water. As he lay on his back, trying to sleep, a shell floated by. He saw it change shape and colour as it moved, dancing in the water. It was the most wonderful thing he had ever seen.

As the crab watched the shell, a hungry eel widened it's jaws. The crab leaped up to catch the shell and the eel pounced, flashing across the seabed. Sand kicked up, teeth and pincers clattered and clashed and the crab held tightly to his shell. Terrified, he closed his eyes and waited to be eaten up. When he opened them the eel was gone and the sand had settled. His shell was lying on the seabed, small and shining. It had a long crack running across it's surface, where the eel had tried to clamp it's jaws.

The crab felt very sad. He thought "All my shell has ever done is tried to keep me safe" He spoke to the shell and said "It's time someone looked after you". He picked it up in his pincers and lifted it lightly on to his back. He felt the old pinch in his sides and the weight on his back and laughed like he never had before. "I'm home!" He said, as he looked out at a wide sea and started to walk.  

Reviews

[Carina Baumert]

I've really enjoyed this cute story. You have a knack for writing children's stories. Just speed up the pacing a bit in the middle paragraphs. I liked it.

[Jack Baird]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for reading and giving helpful feedback :)