WINTER STORIES

 A lonely crab

Rocco, the hermit crab, was satisfied because he was able to live without anyone's help. After all, being a hermit is almost the same as being a loner.

He lived in the most sheltered part of Rocacoral. First he had painted black and yellow fish on the rocks, which looked poisonous, to keep curious neighbours away. Then he had made a fake tentacle so that they would think it was the lair of a dangerous squid. With these tricks he had managed to keep the inhabitants of Rocacoral away from there.

He was convinced that he was the smartest crab in the world! He hoarded food and hid it in hollow stones. Sometimes he saw that other animals were having trouble finding food, but that wasn't his problem, let them wise up!

Hermit crabs usually live inside any sturdy object that can serve as a shell. Usually empty shells. But Rocco didn't think the shells were tough enough, so he appropriated a metal box. And there, embedded in it, he felt safe.

But the metal box was heavy and narrow, and Rocco found it hard to get in and out.

So one day, while straining, he got a terrible cramp in the clamps! What a pain! The more he moved, the more it got tangled and stuck, and the more distressed he became.

Rocco felt trapped in his metal box and had to admit that it had not been a good idea to choose that object to protect himself.

He realised that he would never get out of it without help. So he had no choice but to ask his neighbours for help.

The animals that were close to him immediately came to his aid. And when he was finally able to get out, he threw the box far away and looked for a comfortable, light shell to protect himself.

After a short time he held a great feast with all the food he had saved. He handed out invitations to fish, seahorses, stars and jellyfish.

 Rocco discovered that nothing can offer more protection than the help of friends.