Reading the Dice: Voyages Edition

Story 3: Herbert's Adventure

Dice Roll: crab, cave, submarine, cactus, egg, map, glasses, rice bowl, music note

Herbert the crab lived in a cave at the bottom of the Delusion Sea. One day, while he was out exploring the sandy sea bottom, he found an egg. It wasn't a fish egg. Or a frog's. Or even a seagull's that had slipped from the nest. Herbert couldn't identify the egg at all.

So, he gently picked the egg up in his claws and carried it to his cave. Then, he scurried over to his bookshelf and grabbed a large, heavy tome, carrying it to his table. After putting on his glasses, he opened the book and began flipping the pages, trying to match the egg he'd found to the pictures in the book.

"Ah-ha!" he cried, jabbing one claw on a page. "It's a rattlesnake's egg!" He hopped down from his chair and peered at the egg. "But how'd it get here? There's no rattlesnakes in the ocean!" He paused, rubbing his chin with a claw. "Where do rattlesnakes live? Dry places, isn't it? How did one get close enough to the sea to lose their egg here? The Delusion Sea isn't dry!"

Herbert looked at the egg again, eyes narrowing as he scrutinized its smooth surface. Snapping his claws, he hurried back to his bookshelf and pulled out the atlas. Flipping through the pages of maps, he found one that showed the Delusion Sea and nearby areas.

"So... where's the closest desert...?" he mumbled, scouring the page. Finally, his eyes fell on a large area beyond the mountains. The expanse was colored in drab shades, the simple typeface declaring it: 'Henba Desert.' "Hmm... The Henba Desert? But how did the egg get from the desert, across the mountains, and into the sea?"

Just then, there was a knock at his door. He quickly put down the atlas, calling, "Be there in a minute!" He glanced at the egg as he scurried by, wondering if he should put it somewhere out of sight. Shrugging, he went to the door and threw it open.

"Hello, Herbert."

"Ah. Hello, Quigly." Herbert frowned at the old snapping turtle. "To what do I owe the pleasure...?"

"I was expecting a delivery at my mound today and it never came. I was wondering if maybe you'd taken it by accident?"

"A delivery, you say? Of what sort? I'd never take anything of yours on purpose."

"Oh, of course," Quigly replied, nodding, even as his eyes narrowed. "Hence why I said I wondered if you'd taken it by accident."

"Oh, yes, how silly of me," Herbert replied quickly, "that is indeed what you said. What was it you were expecting?"

"An egg." Noticing Herbert's quick glance backward, the turtle leaned in, peering over the crab's head. "So! You did take it!"

"I—I did happen to find an egg today, yes," Herbert replied, gently pushing the turtle away with his claws. "It didn't have any postage on it, nor any marks or labels of any kind. It's not even an egg from anyone that dwells here! I simply picked it up to see if I could figure out what it was, and where it belonged."

"It belongs to me," Quigly snapped. "Give it!"

"What would you want with a rattlesnake egg?" Herbert asked.

"A rattlesnake egg?!" Quigly demanded. "It's supposed to be a snapping turtle egg! I'm adopting!"

"Oh. Ah, congratulations?"

"I'm not adopting a rattlesnake! Keep the egg! Eat it! Whatever! I don't care!" Quigly stomped off, little puffs of sand clouding up around his feet with every step.