Kassandra’s version
Once upon a time there lived a snake and a crab...
The two animals were best friends. They played together every day. They
had so much fun that they never wanted to stop. They always were laughing
and they were always playful. Now let's start the story...
One day the two animals met each other's parents. One was named Snakey.
The other one was Rosella. The parents were friends too. They loved to
chat and one day they chatted too much. And they started to laugh. What a
day, said Rosella, when she got home. She wiped her forehead and said: "I
wish that we were still talking. Oh, how I wish that we were still talking.
I just love to talk but with her only."
But one day the two friends, the crab and the snake, forgot each other's
names. Then they wanted to tell each other their names.
"My name is Crab," said Crab.
"My name is Snake," said Snake. "I really really like to hiss all the time.
Do you remember my mother's name?"
"Yes," said Crab. "Do you remember my mother's name?"
"No," said Snake.
"I will tell you. It is Rosella. I remember yours very well. I am getting
a little mixed up with the words," said Crab.
"DINNER TIME!" yelled Rosella.
"Sorry, I have to go," said Crab.
"Good bye," said Crab.
"Good bye," said Snake. "See you tomorrow."
Then the next morning they woke up and they said what a beautiful day.
They walked out onto the field and ran to each other and started
playing.
When their mom's called, they went home and had a good time.
I hope you like the story. And I only have two words to say. And they are:
The End.
Sebastian’s version
Once upon a time there lived a snake and a crab...
The crab pinched the snake. The snake bit the crab. The crab pinched the
snake's neck and the snake died. And the crab got a little thing to eat
while a predator killed the crab. And while the predator ate the crab
something tried to eat the predator. And while the thing tried to eat the
predator, something tried to eat the thing. While the predator was eating
the crab, the thing that was trying to eat the predator, the thing that was
trying to eat the thing that was trying to eat the predator died from a bad
disease or sickness and something ate it while the thing that ate the thing,
it got the sickness too. And then another crab came beside the thing with a
snake and now read the whole story over again...
And while you read the story over and over and over again, you will find
that it is a never-ending story. Two words: The End
Antonio’s version
For Kassandra & Sebastian
Once around the time,
for time was not yet a pawn,
there was a crab inscribing fine
symbols in the sand,
calling words to what he had drawn.
Coming from sea to land,
this crab used his pincers shut
to write his sandy words and
moved from left to right
not to other beach creatures hurt.
Later the crab would stop to sight
the first wave of a wondrous surge
that possessed enough might
to erase all his hard work,
while he did not blink nor budge.
Every day a snake would lurk
out of a green, green forest,
her tongue looking as a fork
reaching for smell
or taste; a tool of the keenest.
Such a snake, if all went well,
would warm up under the sun
(her blood being as cold as hell!)
and would watch the worker,
which was the crab having fun.
But the snake could wait no longer,
a growing curiosity biting her tail,
and went to meet the crab yonder,
a creature not very aware
for he trusted his shell not to fail.
She snaked slowly not to scare
an easy victim such crab would be,
and after cruising with bare
snake-skin over sons-of-rock,
the snake stopped by the sea.
She hissed the hiss she had in stock
for those who were to be predated;
nothing any wise crab would mock,
but, hey, this crab was a fool
and defensively his pincers prepared.
The snake used her voice cool:
‘Silly crab, do not even dare
hurting me, rather save such tool
for your strange labour,
which is what draws me here.’
“A friendly viper? What favour
could she want from my self?”
thought the crab. And said, ‘Our
species is considered food
despite this pincer and shell.’
‘How better are you than the good
predators that lure us with lies?’
the crab said, and snake understood
that crabs are weaker
than they look, under any pair of eyes.
‘I once was told by my mother,
and she always spake in rhyme,
that each crab living as a loner
will easily be hunted and die,
and you seem lonely on this shoreline.’
‘Lonely? How can you say that? Why?
Look around… each element here
on this beach is bonded, has a tie.
Not even a seaweed makes sense
without rock or sand to adhere!’
‘I’m alone? Not in the past tense,
nor future, nor ever, not now!
(though present is just a pretence)
Just because no crab-kin
Your snaky eyes can see, I vow’
‘that we are plenty but unseen,
and linked to many a element,
even to that you lose: your skin.
Though lost for you, its
parts for others are meant.’
‘No matter what our own myths
and our short perception of life
make us think: what is dead lives!’
Strange words for a crab,
thought the snake after seconds five.
The snake would not mind a lab
to warily study such philosophy,
but, look, this is a simple fable,
not a place for science,
not even that of high-technology.
So snake bit her conscience
(snakes have it in their tail)
and made a long silence
before saying this:
‘Crab, with no lab I will fail’
‘to examine what you say it is,
but I will not be gone until
you tell me what is amiss,
what you come here to write
every day, what is your will.’
‘Oh… that. You are mighty right,
my thoughts were elsewhere,
I did not mean to be impolite.’
Crab then drew a circle on
the sand and started to stare
at something on the horizon.
Snake said, ‘Oh, crab, not again…’
Crab answered, ‘Anon, anon…’
Not much later a wave came.
Snake thought the wait was vain.
The water came and went away tame
as a dog full of owner’s affection,
leaving the sand the same
as before: a flawless beach.
That is called natural perfection.
‘Such meaning is out of my reach.’
Said the snake quite confused.
‘Of mine too, that’s why I search
for wisdom in mother-nature.
But that she has always refused.
Perhaps the snake was more mature,
for she laughed and said,
‘Crab, how can you this endure,
this absurdity without an end?
Think, fool, you’re just a crab!’
Crab thought there on the sand,
and what a sad sight such crab was.
But the sun shined that day, and
soon crab displayed a smile
realizing, “Oh, my, what a time loss!”
‘Let’s talk for more a while,
for I’ve a question rather important.’
Said the snake in a way mild.
The crab replied, ‘Yes.’
And the snake was rather radiant
when it asked, ‘You’ve a mother, I guess?’
‘Oh, yes, she’s called Universe!’
‘Dear me… and your father, is he no less?’
‘Ah, yes, he is greater indeed,
his name may be written Inverse.’
Even I do what the snake did!
It started laughing like a madbeast
and laughed until it could not breathe
(for snakes have lungs too),
but it cackled for two minutes at least.
‘And who are your parents two?’
Crab asked, his green face red.
‘The same you called parents to.’
Said snake, feeling shame
now for tantalizing brother crab.
It was as if they were the same;
crabs and snakes akin!
‘Ah, I forgot to ask your name…’
‘Brac,’ crab answered. ‘And yours?’
Snake , ‘Skean.’
