muriel's house mystery by nadia step of ikigaibooks

8/3/2019 Muriel's House Mystery by Nadia Step of IkigaiBooks

1/18

1


2/18

Muriels House Mystery

By Nadia Step

Copyright2011 Nadia StepAll right reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form

or by any electronic or mechanical means, including informationstorage and retrieval systems without the permission in writing fromthe publisher or author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief

passages in a review.Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author and the

publishing team.

For more positive emotions and feelings, check out our other wonderfulstories that make you smile and chuckle at www.ikigaibooks.com

or use Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/IkigaiBooksor Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/IkigaiBooks/165427473535183

2
http://www.ikigaibooks.com/https://twitter.com/#!/IkigaiBookshttp://www.facebook.com/pages/IkigaiBooks/165427473535183http://www.ikigaibooks.com/https://twitter.com/#!/IkigaiBookshttp://www.facebook.com/pages/IkigaiBooks/165427473535183


3/18

This amazing story took place on one of the small islands treatedkindly by God that had been forsaken in deep waters of the IndianOcean, in a corner of paradise, where Muriel the Snail was born.

The little island was quite tiny; it was not even seen on a single mapof the world. However, it was truly heavenly on this wonderful littlespot on Earth, surrounded on all sides by a saltwater Oceanswarming with sharks.

The finest sand, white as flour, framed all sides of this coral island.Enormous coconut palms were pointed at the very sky. Their crownswere loaded down with coconuts, heavy and ripe.

Small, short banana groves created shade and protected many brightgreen plants from the heat. The flowers sparkled intensely with red,blue, golden, and white hues under the scorching tropical sun. Frommorning to late night, birds of paradise sung, the trees rustled gently,and the wee stream babbled, giving life to everything living that had

settled in this corner of the world.

Local inhabitants called their island Maldives. Small Wonder.Maldives.

One of the island's inhabitants was Muriel the Snail.

For some reason she knew from her very birth that she was lucky tolive on Maldives. It was so good here! So wonderful! Morning beganwith Muriel thanking God for the right to live on this land, under thesepalms, under this warm sun. In the morning she hurried to the streamto wash with the spring water, then hastened to the Ocean to greet it,and afterward played mud pies with the beach sand. The sand waslike wheat grain, and Muriel fashioned wheat pancakes from them.For fun, of course. But it was great!

3


4/18

Later, when the midday scorching sun was too hot, Muriel crawled toher favorite magnolia bush, hiding in the shade under the waxy greenleaves, and began to get busy with her housekeeping. Luckily, herhouse was always with her, was part of her. Little Muriel was a verygood housekeeper indeed.

In addition, she was friendly, kind, and sociable; therefore, she hadmany friends. Everyone loved the smiling snail. Kesha theChameleon, passing by her house, acquired a pinkish color like thatof the shell in which she lived.

He always stopped by her house. Standing still, he waited until shenoticed him, and when Muriel smiled at him, Kesha bobbed his headfor a long time at her, gradually changing color from pinkish to sandy.

That is how chameleons are. They know how to change colordepending on the surrounding objects. On sand - yellowish. On a treetrunk - brown; among pink colors - pinkish.

Another frequent guest of Muriel was Sunny the Bumblebee.

The fragrant bush on which the snail lived attracted Sunny by itsbright crimson flowers, unusually sugary and sweet-smelling.Gathering honey every day, Sunny would fly toward Muriel, buzz for along time, urging her to eat at least a droplet of honey. And havingpersuaded her, he would fly away farther to gather the harvest andpollinate other flowers.

Besides that, Muriel was very friendly with a family of ants, especiallythe twins Lory and Dory.

But the sisters recently were busy with very important work.Therefore, they dropped in to see Muriel seldom and briefly. This isno way offended Muriel; indeed she did understand just how

important the work twins were doing was. Lory and Dory werebuilding a new anthill with their parents and many relatives. Theirfamily was quite enormous. At a family meeting it was decided tobuild yet another house for the ants, thus Lory and Dory along witheveryone else labored from early morning till late evening.

4


5/18

Muriel was also friends with Matilda the Turtle. The turtle lived notvery far away. It was old, but very mobile and cheerful. It often tookMuriel for a ride on its shell, which was breathtaking! That's how fastMatilda the Turtle was.

Quite often Muriel crawled over to visit her neighbor Rio the Raven.Restless Rio the Raven always had some interesting news. Be itsome bright pebble that she would show or a coral of an unusualshape that was demonstrated or a new song that was sung.

But there was one inhabitant on the island that Muriel couldnt quitemake friends with. It was with Rita the Lizard.

Once Rita lost her tail somewhere and thought that Muriel took it for

herself. Muriel was very surprised and a little offended that Ritathought so poorly of her... Why would Muriel want a foreign tail? True,the tail was found later on the beach, in the sand. But Rita didn't evenapologize to Muriel for her bad thoughts, even though Muriel went toRita and congratulated her for the find. Nevertheless, they didn'tdevelop a friendship.

The old wise White Spider was loved and respected by everyone onthe island, especially by Muriel.

He was even more than a friend for her. She would turn to him alongwith other island inhabitants when some advice or help was needed,or simply to share joy. He had a marvelous name - White Fluff. A talkwith him, and it's as though the fluff in your spirit becomes lighter.

White Fluff lived in a white sand castle on the very shore of theOcean. He called his castle a fortress and worked on it entire daysdespite his old age.

During the day he cleaned out underground tunnels, built up newtowers, and renewed the fortress walls. At night, during tides, theOcean would wash away this sand fortress; therefore, White Flufffrom the very early morning would get down to the business ofbuilding. Again he built up the towers, renewed the walls, andcleaned out the tunnels.

5


6/18

In many respects, Muriel took an example from White Fluff. Forinstance, even in how it is necessary to take care of your owndwelling. She took care of her own little house with joyfulness! Thelittle snail loved her home very much. Her shell-house was pinkmother-of-pearl with barely visible silver specks. The shape of thehouse was like ice cream in a waffle cone, where the pyramid ofsweets, as a many-colored spiral, narrows toward the top.

Every day Muriel cleaned, rubbed, and polished the house walls, andthen the mother-of-pearl glistened so bright that the sun had tonarrow its eyes!

Muriel's house was very comfortable. It was always clean and neat.All things were in their own place; the bed was made. A vase with

fresh flowers, white and pink, always stood on the table. A greentablecloth from a leaf was also always clean and smooth. Everythingglittered! It was a great pleasure to live and rest in such a house!

Life of the little snail on the wonderful island passed leisurely andinterestingly. Meetings with friends, work about the house,association with nature... Hot days alternated with warm, sweet-scented nights, summer and winters were similar to each other, andnothing, it seemed, could disturb this usual way of life. Until once anevent occurred that shook the imagination of all inhabitants ofMaldives.

This took place in an early morning of a very usual sunny day.

Muriel awoke to the singing of birds and neighbor Rio the Raven. Thebirds were always the first to awake. Muriel stretched blissfully,limbered up her delicate body, smiled, squinted at the bright sunandwas strangely surprised, having seen above herself a clear bluesky! Usually the first thing that Muriel saw in the morning was the

smooth white inside walls of her shell. But there just a clear bluesky over her head! She lay and thought:

"I'm still sleeping, for sure. Such cannot be. This is a dream. Adream -- in response to her thoughts, the palm leaves swayed,passing the sunrays as a latticed shadow onto Muriel's sleepy face.

6


7/18

No, I'm not sleeping... Why am I seeing the sky?... Where is myceiling? Where are my walls? Where is my house?"

Muriel understood what she was seeing, and her heart began to beatmore and more strongly from turmoil. Where is the house? Where isher beloved mother-of-pearl house?... Her shell! Her home! Herabode! The house vanished! Disappeared! As though it dissolved!

"How will she live so unprotected?!!!" -- the delicate pink-beige bodyof frightened Muriel was shriveled, wrinkled, tears well up in her eyes,a lump in her throat interfered with breathing, and Muriel began tobitterly sob.

Right about the same time, Sunny the Bumblebee was flying by the

magnolia bush where the snail lived. Because of the mournful whinehe got distracted, accidently ran into an adjacent tree, began to buzz,turned around, and only after this glided onto a branch, where thehouse of his lady friend lived. Crimson flowers around bumblebee,from which he usually collected honey, smelled sweetbut the housewasn't anywhere to be seen. A sorrowful cry was heard instead.

- Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Who izzz crying there? Where izzz Muriel'shouse?--buzzed Sunny. - Really! Izzz it possible? Indeed, hazzzeverything changed? There izzz no Muriel! There izzz no houzzz!Muriel! Muriel!- Here, right here in front of younaked - Muriel, bashfully havingrolled herself up into a small ball, sobbed to Bumblebee in response.- Oh! Beige Muriel without a houzzz! Pity you! Pity! What happened?

Tell me! Where izzz the houzzz! Tell me! Wazzz it really stolen? --Sunny indignantly took off under the bush.

- Sunny! Sunny! I'm in trouble. I have no house now! It has vanished!Last evening I slept so cozily in it and this morning it is gone!

Vanished! It vanished! Vanished while I was sleeping! I don't knowwhere it is! Who will help my grief now? -- Muriel continued to crybitterly.

- Muriel! There is no time to shed tears. Calm down! Wait for mehere, don't crawl away somewhere! I will fly around looking, try to findout everything, and return! We will think of something! We won't leave

7


8/18

you alone in trouble! What matters izzz, don't freezzze! Here's agreen leaflet for you, cover yourself with it! -- Bumblebee flew off.

Muriel curled up under the magnolia leaflet and thought, thought,thought....

The twins Lory and Dory dashed by. Their feet firmly held buildingmaterials for the anthill: dry grass blades, small pieces of coconutshells, and fibers from palm twigs. The sisters stopped and glancedabout, puzzled. At the place where Muriel's house usually was, thistime there was, for some reason, only a magnolia leaflet rolled up intoa tube. Only pitiful sobs and lamentations were heard from thetube: "How am I to live now?" The voice was similar to Muriel's.

The twins approached the hole in the green tube from two sides andin one voice asked:-Hey! Whos there?Muriel's nose stuck out of the hole: "Me -- Muriel without a house!"

The ants exclaimed in one voice: "Ah! What happened to it?"

When they heard Muriel's story, a long hush hung over the bush. Thesisters looked at one another, and then Dory asked Lory:- Has a thief really appeared on the island?!- I can't begin to believe this, -- Lory from astonishment dropped acoconut shell, -- how will we live from now on? This means thatsomething can be stolen from any of us at any time, for instanceA house.

With these words, she hugged the snail, looked into her eyes redfrom weeping, having seen her own reflection in her teardrops, andcontinued:- Muriel! Don't cry! Tears won't help your sorrow. For now, stay with

us, the more the merrier being cooped up, and there we will think ofsomething. We will find the thief! We will return the house! My sisterand I will now hurry off, carry away some building materials, and thenwill return for you.

- We will return for you, - repeated sister Dory.

8


9/18

Muriel nodded trustfully, having stopped crying. She wiped away thetears, and the sisters began to hurry to the construction site. Only thelight sobbing of their friend was heard behind them.The sun continued to shine. The Murieln reflected its rays, the palmsrustled. Every now and then, first here, then there, the loud thuds ofcoconuts falling from the palms were heard and, it seemed, nocatastrophe would occur on the island and life would flow smoothly,taking its own course.

Kesha the Chameleon walked by. Rather, not walked but crept. Hesensed danger at once, since suspicious sounds from under thegreen leaflet made him be on the alert. This time he didn't see the

pink mother-of-pearl house, into the color of which Kesha from merehabit changed in this region of the island.- Hi! Who are you there? -- he asked in a whisper near the rustlingleaflet.- Me. Muriel. I'm sniveling from grief. I'm waiting for Sunny and Dorywith Lory. They'll be helping me out now.

- I also want to help you out. Tell me, what difficulty are you in? I don'tsee your house! Did it run away?- My house doesn't know how to run, Muriel sighed sadly.- Does that mean you lost it? -- Kesha looked at the snail sternly.- No. Snails don't lose their houses.- In the evening I fell asleep at home, in the shell. And in the morningI awoke, and a clear blue sky was over my head -- Muriel againbegan to cry, having recalled how miserable she had been sincemorning.

- Well, I never, -- Kesha frowned, -- Well, dear Muriel, your friends will

be helping you out for now, you yourself have to be undertakingsomething. After all, it's obvious the house vanished Let's go toWise Fluff the Spider, we'll get advice. Crawl onto my back, I'llacquire the color of your body and no one will notice you sodefenseless without your house.

9


10/18

The snail crawled from under the leaflet, climbed onto Kesha's back,hugged him strongly so as not to fall off, and the chameleon rushedfaster than the wind to the Murieln shore, where the island's wisestinhabitants lived. The one-day sand fortress, or better yet, castle ofWhite Fluff majestically spread out in the sands of the coast. It was asthough it was here eternally. Though come morning after the nighttide, the smooth surface of the beach was here.Kesha stopped dead and changed into the color of the white sand,similar to flour. Or rather, white salt. Muriel was of a beige color;therefore she stood out as a bright spot on Kesha's back. Thechameleon covered the snail with its tail.

The gates of the sand fortress were closed. The friends began to call

the host loudly in different tunes:- Hi! Wise Fluff! Where are you? Please, come out! -- Chameleonyelled.- Who is in the house? -- squeaked Muriel.- White Fluff the Spider! We need you! -- echoed Kesha.- Please! Wisest of the wise! Hear Us! Come out! White Fluff! We'rein trouble! -- Muriel again almost cried.

- What happened, my friends? -- the soft, rippling voice of Spider washeard behind their back.

- Oh! -- Kesha and Muriel turned around from the unexpected.- I'm not home, Spider smiled through his beard, I'm building a sparetunnel through which I can get to the other shore of the islandunnoticed. So, why am I seeing your sad eyes? Something happenedthat you're in need of me? Can I somehow help my young friends?

Kesha respectfully bowed before the wisest, and the wise old spidersaw from behind Kesha's head Muriel's eyes red from weeping. He

cheerfully smiled at her, and Muriel began her own little speech:

- Kind, intelligent White Fluff the Spider! A disaster has happened tome! I am now a homeless snail.My wonderful mother-of pearlhouse has disappeared! Possibly, someone carried it away. But Idon't know: who, why, where.

10


11/18

Therefore, I dont know, and where do I look for it? All my friendsare disturbed by my misfortune! Both Sunny the Bumblebee and Dorywith Lory, and certainly all other island inhabitants know and areupset: both Rio and the turtle Matilda, for sure, and the entire antfamily!... -- Muriel sighed bitterly.The Old Spider, having bowed his head in deep thought, listenedattentively.

- Oh, White Fluff! -- continued the Snail, -- You are the most wise!You are the most experienced! Your are the most, the most! Adviseus, what can be done? What to do?

The Old Spider smiled. The warmth of his sunny smile somehowimmediately calmed both Muriel and Kesha. After a brief pause,

White Fluff began to speak:

-Well, first of all, don't panic. Your house will be found. Our island issmall. Nothing can disappear without a trace. But this is interesting.Meanwhile, I built an underground fortress tunnel and examined theother side of our island. And there was something suspicious there. Ididn't understand that, but it was something. Something elusivesome kind of new sounds, rustlings.

Speaking honestly, I didn't give this special significance, but now Ithink: at that very time all friends, all their efforts rallied to you and setoff for the other side of the island. Everyone investigate therecarefully! Study every grain of sand. Possibly, Muriel, your loss will befound. Hurry! Act! Believe in success! And it will turn out for all of you!

- Thank you, Most Wise! -- Kesha and Muriel stiffened in a low bow,like a coral that had turned to stone on an Murieln floor. Having stoodfor a long time and not having heard an answer, they raised theirheads, but the old spider had vanished without a trace as though he

hadn't been there close by. But a little sand fountain was clearly seenleft of the central tower. White Fluff had already cleaned out thecaved-in hole of the underground tunnel.

The return trip for some reason took little time. It's very likely becauseKesha and Muriel returned to the magnolia bush in a quite differentframe of mind. They were elated by faith in success.

11


12/18

Friends ready at any second to begin searching for the vanished shellwere already waiting impatiently under the fragrant bush.

Sunny the Bumblebee, having hovered in the air next to the brightflower on the upper branch, buzzed impatiently. Matilda the Turtle layon the sand, having rested her head on a coconut. Lory and Dory,having grown quiet, sat on her back and thoughtfully looked at eachother. Rio the Raven perched herself on the lowest branch and,having dangled her left foot, traced out something on the white sand.

A little away from them with an air of detachment sat tailless Rita theLizard. In the right foot she held a handbag, from which peeped outher once lost tail. Rita showed by all her looks that she had nothing to

do with the disappearance of the house. However, her presence saidthat she also wanted to help Muriel.

Muriel looked gratefully at her friends and smiled warmly at Rita.Kesha was not up to sentiments, he immediately began instructions:

- So, from this minute on we are a group of rescuers. Our task is tofind and return to Muriel her own house. Wise White Fluff the Spidersuggested that the object of search is on the opposite shore of theisland. Therefore, we will now separate into groups and move outtoward the probable place of finding the shell. Thus, group numberone: Matilda the Turtle and twins Dory and Lory, you will go aroundthe island on the left.

Group number two: Sunny the Bumblebee and Rio the Raven, youwill cross the island from the air and closely look down while flying.

Group number three: I, Muriel, and(Rita silently looked at Kesha,afraid she wouldn't be included in group number three) lizard Rita will

go around the island on the right.

I recall objects of the house: a pink mother-of-pearl shell with silverspecks, similar to an ice cream cone in shape. Remember the color.Kesha immediately changed from a sandy color to pinkish mother-of-pearl with specks.

12


13/18

All nodded. All understood. And already after a minute there was noone under the bush, only a magnolia branch with the largest crimsonflower silently swayed.

For the time being, Bumblebee, Turtle, twins, and Rio inspected theisland along their directions; Kesha, Rita, and Muriel made their wayacross the coral reefs on the left side of the island, meeting now andthen in the shore sand. The reefs were sharp and hot from the sun. Itwas necessary to run your feet over quickly in order not to getburned.

Muriel held firmly to Kesha's neck so as not to slip off her back duringso fast travel. Rita the Lizard barely kept up with Chameleon. Fromtime to time Kesha transferred Muriel to Rita in order to catch her

breath a little.

The sun was scorching. It was midday. The hottest time of the day onthe island. Muriel's delicate skin began to dry up and shrink. The snailbecame worse and worse. She lost her strength, but continued tobelieve in the better, and this helped her overcome adversity.

Rita worryingly watched Muriel and from time to time splashed withher feet through the saltwater of the Murieln so that the spraymoistened Muriel's back. For some time Muriel became lighter, butthe body, having become accustomed to living in shell, wasmercilessly weather-beaten, burned by the sun, and scratched bygrains of sand that had been lifted by the wind.

Unexpectedly, behind a sharp turn of the beach, near an old witheredpalm toppled by the wind and buried with the top of the trunk almostin the water itself, was heard someone's twangy, husky singing:

Ha-Ha-Hey!

Ha-Ha-Hey!Everyone has been had!

Ho-Ho-Hoy!Ho-Ho-Hoy!The house is not bad!

13


14/18

The friends stopped dead, afraid to stir. It was rather dangerous toreveal yourself. They exchanged glances. They hid themselves. Theycommunicated by glances.- Looks like we're at the goal -- said Rita the Lizard with her eyes.- Agree, -- nodded Kesha.

Muriel sat higher than everyone, and therefore she could make outthe place from where the singing was heard. Having taken a goodlook, she feverishly whispered to her friends:

- I see it! I see! This is little Crablet!

But he isn't from our island! -- Muriel uttered in a weeping whisper.Our crabs are dressed in square shells and know how to walk

horizontally. But thisthis is something quite different.It is similar toa small grayish spiderand it as though slides along the sandoh!...oh!...Itit rolled my house out of the sand and is trying to climbinto it!...Oh! Oh! -- Muriel went from a whisper to a scream, --Oh,really, really, really!!!

At this moment, Crablet, having heard suspicious sounds,immediately squeezed into the shell and hid in the house.

Kesha, Rita, and Muriel, dried up a little, surrounded the house on allsides and began to bang on it loudly, trying hard to drive Crablet fromthe shelter. Muriel banged especially loudly. She banged and yelled:

- Hey! Get out! Get out of my house right away! This is my mother-of-pearl shell. Who are you there! Come out now! I don't know what yourname is, but move outside immediately!

- I'm Crablet. I'm not from here. I won't come out!

Muriel boiled with anger:- Get out of my house now! Leave immediately!

- I will not leave. I'm afraid. -- Crablet hushed and responded nolonger no matter how much the friends screamed at him.

14


15/18

- What will we do? -- asked the lizard Rita, having lost hope of gettingCrab out of Muriel's house.

- Let's, -- Kesha suggested, -- let's roll the shell toward the Murieln?We'll push it into the water and Crab will be forced to move out of theshelter to breath air. The house will be vacant, will become light, andwe will push it onto the shore. Only you, Muriel, will have to climbdown and help us, or else Rita and I will not be able to do it.

Weather-beaten Muriel crawled down from Kesha with great difficultyand, not paying attention to the burning sand, together with herfriends, exerting all their strength, slowly, slowly began to push theshell toward the Murieln.

With all their efforts, they succeeded in rolling the house to the end ofthe shore wave. Another push -- and .

- Oh! Don't! Don't -- a scared groan was heard from the shell, -- Don'tpush it into the water! I'll now come out myself! Myself!!!

The resentful Crab slowly, discontentedly grunting now and then andmuttering something, crawled out of the house and, crawling away tothe side, having cast a side look at Muriel, Rita, and Kesha withdispleasure, muttered through his jaws:

- All of you are turning me out. No one needs me. I am quite alonehere. There is nowhere to find a place. You'll see, I'll disappear!

- You won't disappear! Such as you don't disappear, -- said Keshaharshly. Muriel! Crawl into the house quickly before you arecompletely burned up in the sun! Crawl home! And we ourselves willlook into things there -- and looked at Crab with meaning.

Tired, lacerated Muriel crawled with delight into her own shell. Thepath to her own bush was not easy, but along the road she was metby Turtle, the ant sisters, Rio the Raven, and Sunny the Bumblebee,who, having heard the story about bad Crablet, congratulated Murielon the find and helped her get home.

15


16/18

In the shade of the fragrant flowering magnolia, Muriel the Snail couldfinally relax and peacefully clean up the house.

At the same time, Rita the Lizard and Kesha the Chameleoncontinued the conversation with bad Crablet.

- How did you come here to us, so dishonest and thievish? -- Keshaask sternly.

- How, how? Quite simply! I arrived floating on the palm branch! Ithought really, I will drown! It took a week to get here! There was ahurricane on my island! Enormous waves washed me away. I clungto the first fallen branch, and I floated here. Rather, we floated here,the branch and I, -- Crablet mournfully hung his head, took a breath

and continued, -- now I'm here with you. Alone. No one needs me. Iam unfortunate Crablet. How am I to live hereafter? I am quitealone.

- And we don't have a place here for petty thieves! -- Rita put in herwords, -- clear out of here!-Where am I to clear out to? To wander about again? Crablet'srestrained male tears dropped to the sand.

Kesha and Rita glanced at each other. In the eyes of both was thesame question: "True, where does he go alone?"

- And what do you know how to do besides rob other's homes? --asked inquisitive Rita.

- If I needn't steal, I wouldn't steal, - sniffed Crablet, - I simply don'tknow how to do anything as yet. I'm quite little.

He stood like this in front of Chameleon and Lizard, having bowed his

head toward the sand, and his entire appearance expressed sorrowand despair.

- Oh, - sighed Kesha, - what to do with you? You'll have to be takento our local crabs. Perhaps they can teach you something useful.Perhaps they will also make an honest local inhabitant out of you.

16


17/18

And if you don't learn, you will have to leave our island. We have noplace for such as you.

- I'll learn! I'll learn! Take me to your crabs! I'll do everything. Onlytake me in! Don't desert me! - Crablet's eyes were filled with hopeand determination to be a good crab.

Kesha and Rita took him by the claws on both sides and, havingsighed, led this big kiddy to the large family of local crabs.

- What's your name? - asked Kesha.- None at present. I don't have a name.- Oho-hoNo name. Neither name, nor education, nor home, nortradeWell, what about that. We'll begin with a name. What do you

think, Rita?

Lizard, not hesitating, blurted out in one breath:- He is Krepa! Life attached him to our island! So, attached! Krepa!- Why so? A splendid name -- Krepa, - approved Kesha.

They walked in silence for a while. Krepa grew accustomed to hisnew name. Lizard thought about how smart she was, having come upwith the idea of such a fine name. And Kesha pondered over how thecrab family would accept Krepa.

- Listen, Krepa, - said Chameleon very seriously, looking in Crablet'seyes, - you won't have an easy time in your new family. You will haveto prove by deeds and work that you are worthy to be a full-fledgedinhabitant of our island. A long time will pass before we are allconfident that you are an honest Crab and we can trust you.

I sincerely hope you can cope with all difficulties and can earnyourself a good reputation.

After several more steps, Chameleon stopped and said: "Well, we'vearrived here."

Kiddy Krepa was shocked by what was seen.

17


18/18

Directly in front of him towered an enormous coral block, along whichscurried back and forth a vast number of very beautiful, glistening,simply perfect dark-brown crabs.

Many thoughts rushed simultaneously in his head: "How will the newfamily accept me? Will I be able to cope? Will they take a liking tome? Will they keep me on this wonderful island?"

But there will be a quite different tale about this. A tale about howKrepa the Crablet suddenly changed the life of the island'sinhabitants.

18

muriel's house mystery by nadia step of ikigaibooks

Documents