3. The Rock Pool

Curly leans forward and peers down into the water. Beneath the seaweed can be seen many limpets and mussels attached to the rock at the edge and bottom of the pool.
"Hello shells," says Curly, "I didn't know that shells could talk."

"Of course shells can't talk," says the voice, "Don't you know anything?"

"Well, what are you then?" asks Curly.

"Look, I'm waving at you. Can't you see me?"

Curly looks more closely into the pool and finally sees who is talking to her. Half hidden by a clump of seaweed is a crab.
"Oh, you're a crab."

"Of course I'm a crab. Now, are you going to help me?"

"I'll help you if I can," replies Curly. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just look across the beach and tell me where the water is," says the crab.

Curly looks towards the sea and says, "The water is where it always is; in the sea."

"Of course the water's in the sea, but where's the sea?"

Curly looks puzzled. "The sea is over there. It's always over there."

"No it isn't!" shouts the crab. "Sometimes it's over here!"

"Oh. I see what you mean. You're talking about the tide."

"Of course I'm talking about the tide. Now, where is it?"

Curly looks at the sea again. "The tide is out. Right out. In fact. I've never seen it so far out."

"That's what I thought," says the crab. "The tide's right out and it shouldn't be. Someone is stealing the sea!"

"How can that be?" asks Curly. "The sea can't be stolen. It's too big."

"I'm telling you that the sea is being stolen. Either that or someone has pulled the plug out."

Curly tries to imagine what a sea plug would look like. She decides that there is no such thing. Perhaps the crab is right and someone is stealing the sea. "You may be right," she says to the crab. "We've been on the beach for hours and the tide has been out all the time."

"Why don't you go and look for the thief?" suggests the crab.

"Look for the thief? I'm not sure how I can do that, but I'll ask my friend if he wants to help."

"Get a move on," says the crab, "If this pool is all that's left of the ocean, it won't be much fun sharing it with paddling children and fishing boats and submarines and oil tankers and sperm whales and . . ."

Wondering whether the crab will ever get to the end of his list of things that use the sea, Curly says goodbye and goes over to where Boysie is giving her a strange look.