1. Reading Lesson

Tom And The Lobster

One day Tom was going along the rocks in three-fathom water, when he saw a round cage of green withes; and inside it, looking very much ashamed of himself, he saw his friend, the lobster, twiddling his horns, instead of his thumbs.

"What! have you been naughty, and have they put you in the lock-up?" asked Tom.

The lobster felt a little indignant at such a notion, but he only said, "I can't get out."

"Why did you get in?"

"After that nasty piece of dead fish." He had thought it smelt very nice when he was outside; but now he turned round and abused it, because he was angry with himself.

"Where did you get in?"

"Through that round hole at the top."

"Then why don't you get out through it?"

"Because I can't;" and the lobster twiddled his horns more fiercely than ever.

"I have jumped upwards, downwards, backwards, and sideways, at least four thousand times; and I can't get out. I always get up underneath there and can't find the hole."

Tom looked at the trap, and having more wit than the lobster, he saw plainly enough what was the matter; as you may if you look at a lobster pot.

"Stop a bit," said Tom. "Turn your tail up to me, and I'll pull you through hindforemost, and then you won't stick in the spikes."

But the lobster was so stupid and clumsy that he couldn't hit the hole. Tom reached and clawed down the hole after him, till he caught hold of him; and then, as was to be expected, the clumsy lobster pulled him in head foremost.

"Hullo ! here is a pretty business," said Tom. "Now take your great claws, and break off these spikes, and we shall both get out easily."

"Dear me, I never thought of that," said the lobster; "and after all the experience of life that I have had !"

But they had not got half the spikes away, when they saw a great dark cloud over them; and low and behold, it was the otter.

How she did grin when she saw Tom. " Yar !" said she, "you little meddlesome wretch, I have you now! I will serve you out for telling the salmon where I was!" And she crawled all over the pot to get in.

Tom was horribly frightened, and still more frightened when she found the hole in the top, and squeezed herself down through it, all eyes and teeth. But no sooner was her head inside than valiant Mr. Lobster caught her by the nose, and held on.

And there they were all three in the pot, rolling over and over, and very tight packing it was. The lobster tore at the otter, and the otter tore at the lobster, and both squeezed and thumped poor Tom until he had no breath left in his body. I don't know what would have happened to him if he had not at last got on the otter's back and safe out of the hole.

He was right glad when he got out; but he could not desert his friend who had saved him; and the first time he saw his tail uppermost he caught hold of it, and pulled with all his might.

But the lobster would not let go.

"Come along," said Tom; "don't you see she is quite dead?" And so she was quite drowned and dead.

And that was the end of the wicked otter.

But the lobster would not let go.

"Come along, you stupid old stick-in-the-mud," cried Tom, "or the fisherman will catch you !" And that was true, for Tom felt some one above beginning to haul up the pot.

But the lobster would not let go.

Tom saw the fisherman haul him up to the boatside and thought it was all up with him. But when Mr. Lobster saw the fisherman, he gave such a furious and tremendous snap, that he snapped out of his hand, and out of the pot, and safe into the sea. But he left his knobbed claw behind him; for it never came into his stupid head to left go after all; so he just shook his claw off as the easier method.

Tom asked the lobster why he never thought of letting go. He said very determinedly, that it was a point of honor among the lobsters. And so it is.

[Abridged from The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley.]

2. Study

Where was Tom when the story opens? What strange sight did he see?

What did Tom think when he found his friend? How did the lobster happen to be there? Why did the lobster say the piece of fish was nasty?

Why could Tom tell what was the trouble when the lobster could not? Find a picture of a lobster and of a lobster pot if you can. Was Tom's plan a good one? How did it work?

Why was the otter so glad to see Tom? What did she wish to punish him for?

Why didn't Tom leave after he was out of the pot?

3. Exercises

1. Explain what is meant by these: three-fathom water all eyes and teeth desert his friend.

2. Find these words in the story. Decide what they mean, then write sentences containing them: withes.

lock-up.

stupid.

meddlesome.

twiddling.

valiant.

4. Written Composition

1. Give directions for making a lobster pot like the one told of here. Draw a picture of it.

2. Use this outline to write the story of Tom and the otter:

Their first meeting. How they treated each other. Their second meeting. How Tom was saved.

5. Stories

Choose one of these stories to tell in class:

1. Tom's plan to save the lobster.

2. Tom's escape from the otter.

3. Why Tom and the lobster were friends.

4. Read again the story of Tom and the Otter and think why the otter decided not to eat Tom. Then think why the lobster called the piece of fish in the trap "nasty."

What well-known story do these animals remind you of? If you cannot think, ask some one to tell it to you, and you may tell it in class.