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Pansipit the Hermit Crab
By: Annette Flores Garcia


PansipitIn a sandy beach in Batangas there lived Pansipit the hermit crab.

"I am the best in the sea in Batangas," said Pansipit "the best in the sea there is... I am the biggest hermit crab in all the land. And the toughest one there is... "

Pansipit could blow the bubbles out of Kabibi and shout a whole school of fish down. He could tear a shrimp into two with his pincers and throw mini-fountains into the sea with one sigh.

His shell was his fortress forever on his back until he exchanged it for another. His pincers his swords kept sharp with much use. And the sea his watery land.

He sat there. Right plop there among the shells and sea urchins, crabs and sea plants by the shore. And when he felt hot, with the sun on his back, he dug a big hole on the floor.

One day a man came by singing with all his might."La, la, la," sang the man looking every which way at the blueness of the waters beyond. "La, la, la," sang the man at the splendor he saw, while the waves scrambled up on the sand.

"Ho, ho, ho what do we have here?" said Pansipit when the sound of the sea was drowned out. For the man without thinking, kept bellowing and yelling, singing and humming his tune "La, la, la, La la, la."

"Excuse me," said Pansipit while scratching his ear, "But I cannot hear the sound of the sea ponies beyond. They usually whinny at this time of the day for their tummies all ache to be fed.

"La, la, la," said the man for he could not hear what the young still hear in their dreams. For talking hermit crabs and sea horses and shells no longer called him to play.

"Excuse me, please sir, said Pansipit again, "Could you please rest your foot somewhere else? My friend, my friend who is under that shell, is inclined to get up for more air."

"La, la, la," said the man this time looking down for something was hurting his foot. He bent to find out just what it was and saw Pansipit hanging on instead.

"What is this?" said the man as he held up his foot." A dark shelled beast, pinching the tip of my toe? Has this gone mad, this watery land for a creature like this to be so?"

"Creature? Creature?" said Pansipit waving one pincer while clinging to the man's big foot, "Who are you to speak to me in such an impolite way? You happen to be intruding on me and my friends and your voice disturbs us so!"

"La, la, la," said the man for he still could not hear what Pansipit was trying to say. For this weird creature, no bigger than his palm, was looking straight up at him, into his eyes, waving his pincers outright.

"Why you!" shouted the man getting ready to fight. "I'll throw you in the sea!" and he snatched Pansipit and threw.

But Pansipit held on tight. So very, very tight, that it was the man who gave up the fight. Pansipit, dear little Pansipit held onto his palm with all of his might!

"Never mind," said the man changing his mind,"I think I have a much better plan, instead of throwing you back in the sea I'll bring you to my little boy."

And so, there it happened, that bright early morn, that Pansipit found himself saying good-bye. He had left his home, that bright early morn, leaving the sea breeze behind.

The next thing Pansipit knew he was put in a bottle and forced to call it home. He now had a master that fed him some food and stared at him from the outside.

At first Pansipit felt happy in his neat little place where he need not fight for his meals. But when the sun went down and the boy went to bed he pined for his friends and home.

"I wonder," thought Pansipit a tear about to fall,"If the sea still paints the sky blue? Do the jellyfish still linger where the foam tops the sea and the barnacles hang on for dear life?"

"Does the sun still touch the tops of the waves sending its golden fingers forth? And do the silverfish still jump in and out of the waves, and play hide and seek with the tide?"

And then with these visions still deep in his mind he'd let a tear or two fall. How he wished that at least in his dreams he could visit his watery land.

Soon Pansipit felt sea sick for there was no sea horse to ride. No sea wind, no seashell, no sea urchin, no fish. How he longed to sink in the grainy gray sand for just a moment or two!

"I must let him go!" said the boy to his father. "He is sinking as fast as can be! He longs for the waves and the sand of his home where the salt swirls around him gently!

"All right!" said the man for his son spoke the truth and they set off for the beach. To Boracay where the sand is pure white and the waters as sweet as summers.

So Pansipit got down from the little boy's palm and into the powdery beach.

"He's different" thought the boy, as the crab scuttled forth. His dark shell a black dot on the white sand.

"He's too dark," said the father, "He'll never be one of them," as he fingered the white shell of another.

"He'll live," said the boy. Then "He'll learn," he added, while Pansipit explored his domain.

But Pansipit, dear Pansipit barely heard what they said for the sea was calling him in. And the sand for its part, had spread its own welcome mat -- beautiful soft grains of talc.

"Welcome! Welcome!" said the white hermit crabs all in one reception line. All bright and clean in their best shells of white they gleamed.

"He's dark," whispered one shyly from behind its ivory home.

"He's big," said another.

"He's cool," said the littlest one there.

And when Pansipit in his dark, dusty shell walked in their midst, acknowledging their nods of acceptance, he held his head high and started to chant for the sea had come back to him in the end.

"I am the best in the sea in Boracay, said Pansipit the best in the sea there is... I am the biggest hermit crab in all the land. And the darkest one there is... "

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Short Story Poetry
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In This Issue:
Beach Bytes
ESSAY

Sea Creatures Trivia
ACTIVITY

Play Clay Dough
ACTIVITY

Pansipit the Hermit Crab
SHORT STORY

The Hermit Crab: A Crabby House Hunter
PERSONALITY

Water's Edge
POEM

The Naturalness of Nature
TRAVEL

Saud - A Place to Enjoy In
TRAVEL

Book Reviews


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