Week 1 Storytelling: The Crab Who Could Walk

"Why in the world do you walk sideways like that?" said a Mother Crab to her son. "You should always walk straight forward with your toes turned out."

"Why in the world do you walk sideways like that?" said a Mother Crab to her son. "You should always walk straight forward with your toes turned out."

"Show me how to walk, mother dear," answered the little Crab obediently, "I want to learn."

So the old Crab tried and tried to walk straight forward. But she could walk sideways only, like her son. And when she wanted to turn her toes out she tripped and fell on her nose.

Do not tell others how to act unless you can set a good example.

(A very happy crab gif found here.)

Joe, a young crab at the age of three months, taught himself how to walk. His mom, Lola, and his dad, Frank, had been trying relentlessly to teach him in the first two months of his life. It was only until they went on vacation that he had taught himself. As his parents were basking in the sunlight on the beach in Florida, Joe had become self-motivated to learn how to walk while his babysitter, Franny, was flirting with the boy who lived next door.

On day one, Joe first learned how to stand. Standing, you see, is fundamental for strengthening the muscles in his legs so he could eventually learn to walk. He had already known that this was his biggest challenge thus far. Learning to stand would be the gateway to walking, running, skipping and many other activities. So on day one Joe learned how to stand.

On day two, Joe discovered that he must learn how to use his leg muscles to move one leg at a time. So, he wobbled and fell, and wobbled and fell, repeatedly until he could manage on his own. This took hours and by the end of the day, Joe had learned that walking wasn’t as easy as he perceived it to be.

Day three was a big day for Joe. On this day, he learned how to walk from one side of the room to the other side. He had to be sly about learning to walk. He did not want Franny to see and call his parents, ruining his surprise. So, whenever she went to flirt with the crab next door, he would slowly, but surely, wobble his way throughout the house. He went from his bedroom to the living room and back with minor difficulty by the end of the day. Joe’s excitement for walking had strengthened and he could not wait to show his parents.

During the final day of his parent’s vacation, Joe focused on perfecting his newly learned skill. As soon as Franny would leave the house, he would walk around with such ease and confidence that it was like he had always known how to walk. Joe was counting – and walking – down the hours until his parent’s arrival. Joe hoped that his parents would be thrilled to see that he was finally motivated to learn this skill that had been trying to teach him for months. He was so excited that he dreamt of walking to the front door to open it for him upon their arrival home.

The big day was here for Joe and the thrill that was running through his body was comparable to the streams of the ocean: strong and wild. Today was the day Joe would show his parents that he knew how to walk. His parents came home from Florida not long after breakfast, and while they spoke with Franny in the hallway about how Joe was all week, Joe stepped out, walked to them, and told them about his week himself. His mom, Lola, and his dad, Frank, were floored. They were in such shock that they didn’t even know what to say. That is, until his mom said the wrong thing.

“Why do you walk like that?” she said. 

“How do you mean?” Joe replied. 

He looked down at his legs and walked just like his parents did. He maneuvered his limbs in the same fashion that he had seen them do so since he was born. His mom then proceeded to explain how a proper young man should walk and said he should try to walk that way. Joe was so confused. He did not understand why she was expecting him to walk differently, so he asked her to demonstrate for him. She tried to, but fell. She tried again and again, but continued to fail. Eventually she gave up. 

Joe then asked her, “I learned to walk from you, how am I to learn how to walk differently when you’re my only example?”

Author's Note: The inspiration from this story came from The Young Crab and His Mother from Aesop for Children, by (anonymous), illustrated by Milo Winter (1919). The fable is presented at the beginning of the story. I decided to expand the fable into a story about how the crab learned how to walk the way he does. His mother is critiquing him in both the short story and the fable, but creating a background story puts the criticism into context.