CRAB MOVES

Tomasito. Tanya photo, 2009

Dear KIDS and PARENTS and FRIENDS:

I hope you are enjoying the adventures of Constable Crab as much as I am!

In fact I like the stalwart crab so much that I am going to concentrate on telling HIS stories!

I am going to move my drawing pencil, color pencils. pen and scanner to HIS OWN BLOG SITE and I hope you will follow him there.

Just click this link: The Casebook of Constable Crab . and you'll be THERE!

Tomasito, 2009


...

Crab Wakes Up

A slight noise awakened me.

I sat up and for a moment wondering where I was--on the beach, of course--my usual place in the sun.

But--Arthur? Merlin? My Quest?

All a most wonderful dream.

But WHAT had awakened me?

Looking up I could see very high in the sky, a circling crow--and beside me a small twig was lying--perhaps the crow had accidentally dropped the twig which made the little sound which woke me from my marvelous dream?

Perhaps...

Tomasito, 2009


...

The Round Table Seat

Merlin and King Arthur led me across the room to the great Round Table and paused waiting for me.

As I came up and around them I could see A New Seat at the table--and on the high back of the seat was carved MY OWN NAME: Crabaine!

"This is your reward, Sir Crabaine--you are now a most worthy knight of the Round Table!" Arthur said.

Surely this was the proudest and happiest day of my life!

...

Return to Camelot

Suddenly, as if by magic, I was back in Camelot--in the great throne room where the round table stood--and coming to meet me with welcoming expressions were King Arthur and Merlin.

"I have done it! With the help of many new friends I have completed the quest!" I cried excitedly.

"And what was in the Box of Destiny, Sir Crabaine?" Arthur asked.

"Only a message written on an old piece of paper." I replied.

"And the message?" Asked Merlin.

BE
YOUR
SELF

I said.

"Ahhh, GOOD! That is enough." They said together.

"Well done, Sir Crabaine." Merlin said. "Come now with us to the great Table Round and receive your reward!"

...

QUEST Realized

I realized that I had indeed achieved my QUEST with the help of all my new good FRIENDS!

It was a wonderful moment for me!

...

A Note from the Past

Inside the beautifully-wrought Box is a yellowed scrap of paper.

I reached it out with my claw and read:

BE
YOUR
SELF

"That's very GOOD." says the talking twig from the Tree of Knowledge.

...

The Tor at Last

At last: The Tor--old--very old and crumbling--for the Jumblies are gone--long gone.

I enter the stone tower through the open door and find myself in a small circular room.

And there in the dim light at my very claws is My Quest:
The Box of Destiny--a small box shaped like some fantastic animal.

I put down the twig from the Tree of Knowledge and carefully lift off the lid which forms the top of the animal-shape...

...

Onward

"I kept my eyes on the Tor and advanced as rapidly as I could with the talking twig from the Tree of Knowledge gripped tightly in my claw.

I was not going to let anything stop me now from completing the quest!

...

Awake at Last

"What do you mean?" I said (still a little foolishly) to the twig. "I am--uh--I am--uh--Well, I MUST be somebody!"

" That is true." said the twig, "But WHO? I'll give you a little hint: King Arthur..."

"You Mean I AM KING ARTHUR?" I said in surprise.

"NO! King Arthur made YOU a knight and gave you a quest..."

"YES! I remember now! I am Sir Crabaine and my quest is to find the Box of Destiny..."

"Beneath the Tor ..." Prompted the twig.

"In the Perplex Plain!" I finished. "Of course! How COULD I have forgotten?"

"Crabs DO forget things here in the Perplex Plain--even IMPORTANT things." said the twig. "Now pick me up again and hold me close. Keep you eyes on the TOR and I will help you remember who you are and what you are doing! Now, let's GO!"

...