The little crab had been playing outside all day and hurried back home. As he was walking, a big carp swam by, and the little crab accidentally bumped into the big carp’s side.
The big carp wasn’t pleased. “Hey, why do you walk sideways like that?” she asked.
The little crab quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, but all crabs walk sideways.”
This made the big carp even more upset. “You’re just a little thing, and you dare talk back? I bet you can’t even count how many legs you have!”
“That’s true, I don’t know how to count yet,” the little crab admitted honestly. “Aunt Carp, could you teach me?”
“I won’t teach you! If you can’t count your legs, how can you walk properly? If you can’t walk properly, you might as well not walk at all!” The big carp swished her tail and swam away.
The little crab stood there, stunned by what the big carp had said.
A small shrimp swam by and asked the little crab, “Why are you standing here in a daze instead of heading home?”
The little crab replied, “The big carp said that since I can’t count how many legs I have, I shouldn’t walk at all. Shrimp, do you know how many legs you have?”
The little shrimp also had many legs, but after counting and recounting, he couldn’t figure out the exact number. Sighing, he said, “It seems I’m just like you, Little Crab. I guess I shouldn’t be walking either.” So, the little shrimp also stood there, lost in thought.
At that moment, a frog swam by and asked the little crab and the little shrimp, “Why are you two standing here like a couple of fools?”
The little crab told the frog what the big carp had said.
The frog then found the big carp and asked her, “Can you count how many scales you have on your body?”
This stumped the big carp. “There are so many scales, who could count them all?”
The little crab and the little shrimp started laughing, “So you’re not so special after all!”
“Exactly,” said the frog to the little crab and the little shrimp. “So just go ahead and walk. It doesn’t matter if you can’t count your legs. As long as you’re willing to learn, there’s nothing you can’t master.”
The frog accompanied the little crab home, teaching them how to count along the way: “One leg, two legs, three legs, four legs…”
As for the big carp, feeling quite embarrassed, she swam away.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
