The King's Crab

On a briny beach by the salty sea lived a colony of fiddler crabs. Among all these crabs, the best fiddler’s name was Lefty Lem on account of his big left claw. Unfortunately, Lefty Lem felt he was too good for the cozy beach and his fellow crabs. Much to the dismay of all the lady-crabs, Lefty Lem packed up his fiddle and bid farewell to his aged mother, breaking her heart with the words,
“I’m off to greater things! The King himself shall hear me while I play my strings!”
And with that, he was off.

On his way to the kingdom, so very far from the sea, he came across a baby brook that was choked with twigs and leaves.
“Oh, please! Sir crab! With your great claw! Unstop my mouth and fix this flaw!” The baby brook had a voice that trickled your ear and water that shined like the sun. It was sure ole’ Lefty Lem would be only too happy to perform the heroic deed. But without slowing his clicking pace, Lefty Lem shouted,
“I’m off to greater things! The King himself shall hear me while I play my strings!”     

And with that, he was off.

That night Lefty Lem scuttled through a band of bandits counting their loot for the night. Their rumpus was rowdy and they didn’t even notice that the poor fire was slowly dying out. When the fire spied the side-walker tickling through the grass he cried,
“Oh, please! Sir crab! Feed me your fiddle! So I might be put out by no man’s spittle!” The failing fire knew only too well that it's light and warmth would help the traveling crab on his journey, but it too was disappointed because, without slowing his clicking pace, Lefty Lem shouted,
“I’m off to greater things! The King himself shall hear me while I play my strings!”

And with that, he was off.

Finally, the next day (just before lunch) Lefty Lem heard the sound of his creepy legs with satisfaction as they clicked and clacked on the kingdom’s cobblestones.
“I have made it! I have made it!!!” He thought as he frantically tuned his fiddle. But at the same time, the King’s cook was mournfully trudging through the market. There were no crabs for sale today, which was the King’s express wish for his lunch. The poor cook knew that it was time to say goodbye to his head. Until suddenly, as if Providence sent manna from heaven, he saw a crab with the biggest left claw he had ever seen right there on the ground! Without even a howdoyoudo? He scooped up the distracted Lefty Lem in his sack and whistled all the way to the castle.

The cook gleefully tossed ole’ Lefty in a big pot of water. The now lachrymose Lem added to his terrible drowning fate with his own tears.
“Oh, please! Sweet water! Stop your terrible drowning! Can’t you see I’m meant to play for his royal crowning?”

“Oh, I know.” Trickled the shining water. “But remember how you left me to choke? I’m afraid your time has come, you nasty little bloke.”  But Lefty’s problems had only just begun. Soon the water began to grow very hot.
“Oh, please! Bright fire! Stop your terrible burning! Can’t you see to play for King is my only yearning?”

“Oh, I know.” Cracked the lively fire. “But remember how you left me famished? I’m afraid your time has come, and by that I mean you’re banished.”

And with that, Lefty Lem, the best fiddler crab, was truly and permanently off.

The cook placed the most beautiful crab he had ever prepared proudly before the King. The King excitedly took his first bite and a single tear fell from his eye.

“This delightful crab is beyond my dreams! It’s as if it played my taste bud’s strings!”

The End.