The Crab that Played with the Sea (1 of 5)

---

SHARING
We encourage sharing--forward to a friend!

---

Next

THE CRAB THAT PLAYED WITH THE SEA

BEFORE the High and Far-Off Times, O my Best Beloved, came the
Time of the Very Beginnings; and that was in the days when the
Eldest Magician was getting Things ready. First he got the Earth
ready; then he got the Sea ready; and then he told all the
Animals that they could come out and play. And the Animals said,
'O Eldest Magician, what shall we play at?' and he said, 'I will
show you. He took the Elephant--All-the-Elephant-there-was--and
said, 'Play at being an Elephant,' and All-the-Elephant-there-was
played. He took the Beaver--All-the-Beaver-there-was and said,
'Play at being a Beaver,' and All-the Beaver-there-was played.
He took the Cow--All-the Cow-there-was--and said, 'Play at being
a Cow,' and All-the-Cow-there-was played. He took the
Turtle--All-the-Turtle there-was and said, 'Play at being a
Turtle,' and All-the-Turtle-there-was played. One by one he took
all the beasts and birds and fishes and told them what to play at.

But towards evening, when people and things grow restless and
tired, there came up the Man (With his own little
girl-daughter?)--Yes, with his own best beloved little
girl-daughter sitting upon his shoulder, and he said, 'What is
this play, Eldest Magician?' And the Eldest Magician said, 'Ho,
Son of Adam, this is the play of the Very Beginning; but you are
too wise for this play.' And the Man saluted and said, 'Yes, I am
too wise for this play; but see that you make all the Animals
obedient to me.'

Now, while the two were talking together, Pau Amma the Crab, who
was next in the game, scuttled off sideways and stepped into the
sea, saying to himself, 'I will play my play alone in the deep
waters, and I will never be obedient to this son of Adam.' Nobody
saw him go away except the little girl-daughter where she leaned
on the Man's shoulder. And the play went on till there were no
more Animals left without orders; and the Eldest Magician wiped
the fine dust off his hands and walked about the world to see how
the Animals were playing.

He went North, Best Beloved, and he found
All-the-Elephant-there-was digging with his tusks and stamping
with his feet in the nice new clean earth that had been made
ready for him.

'Kun?' said All-the-Elephant-there-was, meaning, 'Is this right?'

'Payah kun,' said the Eldest Magician, meaning, 'That is quite
right'; and he breathed upon the great rocks and lumps of earth
that All-the-Elephant-there-was had thrown up, and they became
the great Himalayan Mountains, and you can look them out on the
map.

He went East, and he found All-the-Cow there-was feeding in the
field that had been made ready for her, and she licked her tongue
round a whole forest at a time, and swallowed it and sat down to
chew her cud.

'Kun?' said All-the-Cow-there-was.

'Payah kun,' said the Eldest Magician; and he breathed upon the
bare patch where she had eaten, and upon the place where she had
sat down, and one became the great Indian Desert, and the other
became the Desert of Sahara, and you can look them out on the
map.

He went West, and he found All-the-Beaver-there-was making a
beaver-dam across the mouths of broad rivers that had been got
ready for him.

'Kun?' said All-the-Beaver-there-was.

'Payah kun,' said the Eldest Magician; and he breathed upon the
fallen trees and the still water, and they became the Everglades
in Florida, and you may look them out on the map.

Then he went South and found All-the-Turtle-there-was scratching
with his flippers in the sand that had been got ready for him,
and the sand and the rocks whirled through the air and fell far
off into the sea.

'Kun?' said All-the-Turtle-there-was.

Next