The humble life of an underwater crustacean

 

 

Crustaceans, such as a lobster, a crab, or a shrimp, are popular because they taste good, but nobody likes a barnacle, especially when, with an adhesive strength of sixty pounds per square inch, it attaches itself to the bottom of your boat and you can’t get it off… And it invites hundreds of its friends… Argh!

 

Before they are encased in their protective shells and adhere to your boat they look like spiders in their larval stage and swim around.

 

One such little barnacle was eating plankton and trying (not very hard) to find something to attach himself to when he saw another barnacle larva instructing others to follow him into a dark underwater garden. The little barnacle’s name was Bartholomew and he watched as the group of barnacle larvae followed the larva in the dark garden. Before long, the larva came out, alone, from the dark garden and sought some more to lead in.

Bartholomew could see that this larva’s protective shell was already growing on him, but it was growing over his eyes, first. Scales, like a dragon’s scales, were over his eyes, so he could barely see (what he should see, that is; he was only seeing what he wanted to see). It was a dragon’s spell. A serpent had done this. “Probably Seaworm,” Bartholomew thought.

And then, another strange thing happened. A ghost appeared and spoke to Bartholomew. “Go around the coral,” it told him, and he obeyed.

“This is a safe place,” it said, and Bartholomew instantly felt at ease.

“That larva, leading the others, is leading them to the worm,” the Microscopic Organism told him. “Stick with me, and I’ll lead you to a safe harbor.”

“Okay.”

“Only, you have to obey my every command, or you won’t make it,” it said. “It’s a test, that you will pass – but only with my help.”

Immediately, Bartholomew’s attention was on the Judas goat, and he wanted to get away, so, he swam away.

 

 

Swimming leisurely, again, Bartholomew thought about the Judas larva, Seaworm, and the Microscopic Organism. Then, he stopped and ate some plankton.

While thinking and eating, Bartholomew watched a female barnacle larva that was looking at a group of barnacle larvae swimming to the surface. Then, Bartholomew was surprised as the female swam quickly and overtook the others and went in front of them and stopped them.

“Don’t go up there!” she told them. “It will lead you to your death.”

“It’s safe from the worm because the bird is there,” one, who seemed to be the leader, said.

The larvae wanted to attach themselves to a basketball, floating on the surface.

“I think you should swim on, further,” she insisted.

“How much further do we have to go?” he whined.

“As far as a good place,” she said. “As long as it takes.”

But none of the others bought the idea, because it didn’t sound too convincing. Even the girl sensed that. Eventually, they went for the ball and she felt sad.

The Microscopic Organism was there, all along, and told her not to worry. “Let them go,” it said. “You did all you were supposed to do. It was a test, for you. And you’ve received an A…”

 

Bartholomew wanted to approach her, but was shy, and didn’t know what to say.

The girl saw him standing there and went over to him.

“I aced my test,” she bragged.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t feel bad about that group,” she said, and she looked at the larvae, getting ready to adhere to the floating basketball. “Gotta keep looking for a place…”

“I am, too.”

“What’s your name?”

“Bartholomew.”

She laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“At least you didn’t say, ‘Barney’. I hate that name for a barnacle.”

“I know,” he laughed. “What’s your name?”

“Baruska.”

“Baruska,” he repeated. “That’s a nice name, but I’ve never heard it, before.”

“It’s Czechoslovakian.”

“Really?”

“My parents are from Czechoslovakia.”

“Interesting,” he said, “because it’s a land-locked country.”

She smiled. “But it’s true,” she said.

“I’ve heard stranger stories.”

And then, they were startled to hear cries above them, as the bird was eating all of the larvae on the basketball. And, at the same time, the sea worm was eating all the larvae below, including the traitor larva Judas goat.

And they were surprised when they heard from the Microscopic Organism.

“We’re going to that boat, up there,” it told them.

That was all it had said. And that was all it needed to say because a man brought them to the boat.

“We’ll latch on to it all the way to haven harbor,” he told them.

And they did.

 

And the boat was like Bartholomew and Baruska, as their big hard shells developed all around them, because it was a boat around the man.

“I can’t believe what the Bird did,” Baruska said.

“The Bird is good to his people, but he’s evil to all who disobey,” the Microscopic Organism revealed. “We are One, the Bird, the Boat-Man, and I.”

 

Once inside their shells, which were like small, individual rooms, Bartholomew and Baruska were by themselves, but they were able to freely learn from the Microscopic Organism without threat from any enemies, so, they learned a lot, and that was their intent.

The Boat-Man sped them along, and before they knew it, Bartholomew and Baruska were in haven, and it was perfection. And they were in heaven, because they had learned their lessons. They had passed their tests.

 

May we do likewise.