TWO LITTLE CRAYFISHES QUARREL
The day after the Eels left, the pond people talked of nothing else. Itwas not that they were so much missed, for the Eels, you know, do notswim around in the daytime. They lie quietly in the mud and sleep ortalk. It is only at night that they are really lively. Still, as theMother Mud Turtle said, "They had known that they were there, and themud seemed empty without them."
The larger people had been sorry to have them go, and some of them feltthat without the Eels awake and stirring, the pond was hardly a safeplace at night.
"I think it is a good deal safer," remarked a Minnow, who usually saidwhat she thought. "I have always believed that the Eels knew whatbecame of some of my brothers and sisters, although, of course, I do notknow."
"Why didn't you ask them?" said a Stickleback.
"Why?" replied the Minnow. "If I had gone to the Eels and asked themthat, my other brothers and sisters would soon be wondering what hadbecome of me."
"I have heard some queer things about the Eels myself," said theStickleback, "but I have never felt much afraid of them. I suppose I ambraver because I wear so many of my bones on the outside."
Just then a Wise Old Crayfish came along walking sidewise. "What do youthink about the Eels?" asked the Stickleback, turning suddenly to him.
The Crayfish stuck his tail into the mud. He often did this when he wassurprised. It seemed to help him think. When he had thought for a while,he waved his big pinching-claws and said, "It would be better for me notto tell what I think. I used to live near them."
This showed that the Wise Old Crayfish had been well brought up, andknew he should not say unpleasant things about people if he could helpit. When there was need of it, he could tell unpleasant truths, andindeed that very evening he did say what he thought of the Eels. Thatwas when he was teaching some young Crayfishes, his pupils. Their motherhad brought up a large family, and was not strong. She had just cast theshell which she had worn for a year, and now she was weak and helplessuntil the new one should harden on her. "It is such a bother," she said,"to keep changing one's shell in this way, but it is a comfort to thinkthat the new one will last a year when I do get it."
While their mother was so weak, the Wise Old Crayfish amused thechildren, and taught them things which all Crayfishes should know. Everyevening they gathered around him, some of them swimming to him, somewalking forward, some sidewise, and some backward. It made no differenceto them which way they came. They were restless pupils, and theirteacher could not keep them from looking behind them. Each one had somany eyes that he could look at the teacher with a few, and at the otherlittle Crayfishes with a few more, and still have a good many eyes leftwith which to watch the Tadpoles. These eyes were arranged in two bigbunches, and, unless you looked very closely, you might think that theyhad only two eyes apiece. They had good ears, and there were also finesmelling-bristles growing from their heads. The Wise Old Crayfishsometimes said that each of his pupils should sit in a circle of sixteachers, so that he might be taught on all sides at once.
"That is the way in which children should learn," he said, "all aroundat once. But I do the best I can, and I at least teach one side ofeach."
This evening the Wise Old Crayfish was very sleepy. There had been somuch talking and excitement during the day that he had not slept so muchas usual; and now, when he should have been wide awake, he feltexceedingly dull and stupid. When he tried to walk, his eight legsstumbled over each other, and the weak way in which he waved hispinching-claw legs showed how tired he was.
After he had told his pupils the best way to hold their food with theirpinching-claws, and had explained to them how it was chewed by the teethin their stomachs, one mischievous little fellow called out, "I want toknow about the Eels. My mother would never let me go near them, and nowthey've moved away, and I won't ever see them, and I think it's justhorrid."
"Eels, my children," said their teacher, "are long, slender,sharp-nosed, slippery people, with a fringe of fins along their backs,and another fringe along their bellies. They breathe through very smallgill-openings in the backs of their heads. They have large mouths, andteeth in their mouths, and they are always sticking out their lowerjaws."
"And how do--" began the Biggest Little Crayfish.
"Ask me that to-morrow," said their teacher, stretching his eightwalking legs and his two pinching-claw legs and his tail paddles, "butremember this one thing:--if you ever see an Eel, _get out of his way_.Don't stop to look at him."
"We won't," said one little Crayfish, who thought it smart to be saucy."We'll look to stop at him." All of which meant nothing at all and wasonly said to annoy his teacher.
They scrambled away over the pond-bottom, upsetting Snails, jiggling theyoung Clams, and racing with each other where the bottom was smooth."Beat you running backward!" cried the Saucy Crayfish to the BiggestLittle Crayfish, and they scampered along backward in the moonlit water.There was an old log on the bottom of the pond, and they sat on that torest. The Biggest Little Crayfish had beaten. "I would like to see anEel," said he.
"I'd like to see them running on the land," said the saucy one.
"Pooh!" said the biggest one. "That's all you know! They don't run onland."
"Well, I guess they do," replied the saucy one. "I know as much about itas you do!"
"Eels swim. They don't run," said the biggest one. "Guess I know!"
"Well, they don't swim in air," said the saucy one. "That's the stuffthat lies on top of the water and the ground, and people can't swim init. So there!"
"Well, I've seen the Wild Ducks swim in it! They swim with their legs inthe water, and with their wings in the air," said the biggest one.
"I don't believe it," said the saucy one. "Anyhow, Eels run on land."
"Eels swim on land," said the biggest one.
"Eels run!"
"Eels swim!"
"Run!"
"Swim!"
Then the two little Crayfishes, who had been talking louder and louderand becoming more and more angry, glared at each other, and jerked theirfeelers, and waved their pinching-claws in a very, very ugly way.
MOTHER EEL OPENED HER BIG MOUTH. _Page 186_]
They did not notice a great green and yellow person swimming gentlytoward them, and they did not know that the Eels had come back to livein the old pond again. Mother Eel opened her big mouth very wide. "Onland," she said decidedly, as she swallowed the Biggest Little Crayfish,"Eels wriggle." Then she swallowed the Saucy Crayfish.
"There!" said she. "I've stopped that dreadful quarrel." And she lookedaround with a satisfied smile.