The Hermit Crab

In the distant past, on sandy shores far away, there lived a Hermit Crab. Living with many other animals, the Hermit Crab dwelled on the beach, making friends with other animals and living peacefully. Unfortunately, the Hermit Crab had no shell, and with no protection, the Crab was forced to move from place to place, constantly wandering. Then, one day, the Crab stopped its wandering and made its home on the rocky, little tide pools next to the vast Ocean. The Hermit Crab first made a house of sand to live in, standing barely taller than the Crab itself. But one night when the Crab was sleeping, waves crept up the bare beach and lapped at the sandy house, melting the foundation and causing the rest of the house to collapse. The Crab awoke to find the house destroyed, and the place of its refuge gone. Determined to succeed, the Crab then gathered many bundles of sticks, and built a house of twigs and leaves. This time, the Crab was confident that it would succeed. But like the night before, the house collapsed around it while it was sleeping. The next day, the Crab woke to discover ruin once again. Saddened by their friend's plight, the Crab's friends set about to carve a new, improved home for the little Crab. The next day, the Crab's friends presented him with a shell of wood. It was modeled after all the other shells on the beach and bleached a brilliant white by the sun. The Crab, thankful for the gift, crawled into its new home. That night, the Crab stayed awake, worried that its new house would collapse like the others. By the time daylight whispered onto the beach, the Crab had grown too tired to stay awake and fell asleep. Having discovered the usefulness of a shell, the Crab spread its knowledge, helping others like it to be given a safe, comfortable home. To this very day, hermit crabs wear shells as their homes. But even after all these years, the hermit crabs stay awake during the night and sleep during the day, still afraid of their homes failing.