Once upon a time, in the middle of a coral reef, a little turtle was underwater eating his lunch one afternoon. He had a little patch of ground for his home, which he had covered all over with lovely sea cabbage, and over that he had spread some delicious fresh young weeds.
The turtle was just enjoying a nice mouthful of his favourite food when an enormous crab came up to him.
“Give me some lunch,” said the crab.
“I won’t,” said the turtle. “There’s only just enough for me.”
“Then I’ll show you what I’ll do,” said the crab crossly, and he picked up a great stone and threw it down with a crash on the little pat of ground just by the turtle’s side.
The turtle was very frightened, and he.
“I’ll tell you what,” said the crab, “you’d better give me your lunch without any more words or I’ll kill you and eat your body.”
The turtle was really very much frightened, and he was just going to give in, when he thought to himself, “After all, I am quite as good as this old crab. Why should I let him tyrannise over me just because he happens to be stronger?”
So he refused again, and said he wouldn’t give him a single mouthful.
“Very well, then,” said the crab, and he walked away. “You will be sorry for your obstinacy,” he said.
The next morning, however, the crab heard that a lot of fishermen had come to the beach, and with them some Mangrove Indians, who were going to hunt turtles.
“Oh,” said the crab, “to think how the foolish turtle would have given up all his nice food to me! I shall pay him a visit and tell him what is coming.”
So off he went, and very soon he arrived in front of the turtle’s door.
“What! are you there still?” said the crab. “You’d better run away as fast as you can, as those Indians will soon be here; and I’m afraid we shall very soon hear the sound of them coming.”
The turtle said nothing.
“Don’t you care?” said the crab.
“Care!” said the turtle. “Of course I care; but I don’t see that my running away will help you in any way.”
“I think it probably will,” said the crab.
“Well, if you like to help yourself to my food while I’m away, you can.”
“Of course I will,” replied the crab.
“But you haven’t told me where I’m to go.”
“Oh! the best thing you can do is to come with me to the place where you usually get your food, and go and search for it in the sand at the foot of the mangroves. You won’t be disturbed there. Now, if you will come at once, I will reserve you as much sea cabbage and weeds as you can eat whenever you care to come back.”
“But how shall I be able to return?” said the turtle.
“Ah! well, I’m afraid I can do nothing for you on that point; but if you get at once in front of me, I will assure you that no one will be able to keep a constant watch so that we may not hold communication every day.”
So the turtle, seeing he had no other means of escape, followed the crab. When he got to the foot of the mangrove trees, the crab began to eat the turtle’s lunch with the greatest satisfaction.
“Can’t you hurry,” said the turtle. “You don’t think the Indians are going to wait till you have made your repast?”
The crab laughed and laughed at the turtle’s joke, for he thought he had all but succeeded in getting entirely rid of his guest.
In the meantime the Indians had found out from the fishermen where the turtle was, and they all slipped off, not daring to make themselves heard by a movement of either voice or foot, till they found the turtle.
His fright was so great that he could not at once succeed in retracting his head and legs into the shell.
“Shoo! shoo!” said the crab angrily to his guest.
As soon as he had got his legs in his shell, the turtle said to the crab.
“I sha’n’t forget your kindness, you may be sure.”
The crab made no reply, but turned away when he could no longer hear any noise.
The turtle was obliged to remain the whole day under his shell till the Indians found it necessary to go home.