The Curious Lobster by Richard W. Hatch

Author:Richard W. Hatch
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: New York Review Books
Published: 2018-07-03T12:27:20+00:00

THE TURTLE SWAM SO FAST THAT MR. LOBSTER’S FEELERS WERE BLOWN OUT BEHIND HIM.

Whenever they came to a great rock or a hill the turtle pointed his head up and they sailed up over without the slightest effort. Mr. Lobster realized that such obstacles would have delayed him seriously if he had been crawling along the bottom in his usual fashion. For some time after they started he was so busy hanging on to the edge of the turtle’s shell that he scarcely had a chance to look around, but as soon as he got used to the speed he began to enjoy the experience tremendously.

“It is just the way the birds sail through the air,” he said to himself, remembering how he had watched the sea gulls when he had been ashore. “I suppose that I am the first lobster ever to travel this way. It seems to me there is always something new to learn, and I do hope I never get too old to enjoy new things.”

The turtle, without slowing up in the least, turned his neck around so that he was facing Mr. Lobster and said, “Easy, isn’t it? Just hang on and go where you want to without any trouble. Nothing like it, I say. Nothing like it.”

“I thought you said you didn’t believe in hurrying,” remarked Mr. Lobster.

“Hurrying? Who said I was hurrying? This is just the way I go when I am wandering about. What I call cruising speed, you know. You lobsters don’t know anything about speed, if you don’t mind my saying so. Would you like to have me hurry?”

“No, thank you. I’m afraid I would not have any breath left if you went any faster,” said Mr. Lobster quickly.

“Just a little dash of speed?” asked the turtle.

“Oh, no, thank you!”

“Well, if you insist. But some time I would like to show you some real speed. Just for fun, you know. I wouldn’t think of hurrying except for fun. Have to think of my nerves, you know. Never know when they’ll kick up if you’re not careful.”

So they went on and on at the same speed until late in the afternoon, when the turtle slowed up considerably and began to look around as though he had entered a region he had known before.

Soon he called out to Mr. Lobster.

“I know where we are now,” he said, “and we are coming to a fine cave.” He went up over a tremendous rock, then down to the bottom on the other side and stopped. “Have a look around,” he said. “If you don’t like this one I’ll show you some others. No hurry, you know. No hurry at all. We’ll wander about for another day or two if you’d like to, and I’ll show you all the caves in the neighborhood.”

Mr. Lobster straightened out his feelers in front of him for the first time since he had started his ride. Then he crawled down from the turtle’s back and looked around him. Sure enough, there was a small cave under the big rock they had just come over.

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